


Unfinished Business

by myblueworld



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Children of Characters, Drama, Future Fic, I will have more tags about it, M/M, Pining, Some angst, and some fluff too, and the other one is too scared to do anything, now that I finish it, or some sort of AU, stupid people being oblivious, while the other is being miserable, yes it's one pining for the other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-06-01 04:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 63,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6500122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myblueworld/pseuds/myblueworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The time is 2036. Valencia CF has grown to be one of the most successful football club in Spain, a tight competitor for Real Madrid and Barcelona.<br/>Luca Villa, 23 years old, is a rising new star in Valencia CF. He plays as a striker, just like his father, David Villa.<br/>One day, Nathanael Jiménez, 19 years old, come to join the club as a new midfielder that has just been transferred from MCFC EDS.<br/>Playing with the new boy, Luca finds that they just click together. That they can create magical moment together on the pitch.<br/>But then, seeing Nat makes Luca remember some forgotten memories from his past, from his childhood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for Aurore, who has given me the prompt for this fic.

Luca swears that he fell asleep for only 5 minutes. But when he opens his eyes again, it’s already past an hour from the last time he opened his eyes. He doesn’t bother to do the math, but he knows that he’s late. Jumping off the bed, he rushes to the bathroom to wash his face and brushes his teeth. Wearing the first shirt he can get on his hand from his closet, he runs out of his room after he grabs his training bag and slings it on his shoulder.

“Oh, finally decided to wake up, son?”

His father greets him without looking away from the newspaper that he is reading.

Luca mumbles something about how his father should have woken him up as he stuffs a toast into his mouth. His father doesn’t seem to care anyway as the only response that Luca gets is a pair of raising eyebrows.

He quickly takes the cup in front of his dad and gulps down the still steaming dark liquid in it. The bitterness makes him cringes a bit. But that’s his father. He never puts sugar in his coffee.

“Hey!” His father flicks his hand as Luca takes a second gulp. “One does not simply steal David Villa’s coffee!”

Luca rolls his eyes, and puts the cup down.

“See you later, Dad!” he says as he makes the beeline to the door that leads to the garage.

From his seat, Villa sighs and shakes his head slowly. As he's eating his breakfast, he faintly hears the sound of his son’s car leaving the house. Vila sips his coffee as he reads the rest of the newspaper.

***

When Luca runs to the training ground, his teammates are already jogging around the field. Luca makes his way to join them, and Thiago Messi jogs slower so they are jogging side by side as usual.

“Why are you late?”

“Overslept,” Luca answers matter-of-factly. “Did Raul say anything about me being late?”

Thiago shakes his head, and Luca lets out a sigh of relief.

“He must have been in a good mood.”

“I guess so,” Thiago says, and adds. “He’s really excited about the new boy that just arrives.”

Luca’s brows shoot up. Oh. Yeah. He remembers Raul said something about a new player being transferred from a club in England. He stretches his head a little, trying to find a figure that looks unfamiliar for him.

“The one next to Asier,” Thiago gestures a little with his chin. Luca’s lips form a silent O as he sees the one that Thiago is referring to. There isn’t much that Luca can see from behind, except that the new guy does not look really tall, with a dark brown hair that looks to flop all over his head as he jogs next to Asier.

“What position he’s playing?” Luca asks, a little carefully. Yes, for now he has the privilege of being the main striker of Valencia. A new striker would be nice to make sure that they have a back-up. But it also means more competition for Luca.

“Midfielder,” Thiago answers. “Asier also looks so excited with him coming. He said they used to be teammates in Manchester.”

Luca nods knowingly. Like his father, Pablo Zabaleta, Asier plays for Argentinian NT. But he came to Valencia from Manchester City, and sometimes he talks about Manchester like it is also his home. His second home. But well, his father is managing the EDS team there so maybe that’s normal.

“What’s his name?”

“Nathanael something…” Thiago crunches his nose a little as he tries to remember the last name. But then he shrugs his shoulder. “But he said we can just call him Nat.”

“Okay. That’s easy.” Luca glances at the new guy again. There is just something about the way his hair moves that Luca finds kind of distracting. Luca shrugs his shoulder.

“Well, let’s see what good he can do for this team.”

                                                                                                                       

*******

Raul asks them to pick their team to do the 5-a-side in the training, and of course, Thiago steps forward to claim his place right next to Luca. That’s basically the routine. As long as he is allowed to, Thiago will always, _always_ pick the same side as Luca. Luca turns his head a little at Nat curiously. The guy shifts awkwardly in his place with his head bowing down a little. For a second, Luca feels a little bit sorry for him. He might not know, or remember, the names of even half of the team yet. And so far, nothing that Luca can see from him except that he looks so quiet. So Luca assumes that he must be having a hard time waiting for someone to pick him up.

“You’ll be in my team, okay Nat?”

Asier slings his arm around Nat’s shoulder. Nat looks up at him and smiles gratefully, looking so relieved. Luca almost holds himself from chuckling to see how protective Asier is to the new guy. Then again, this Nat guy, he does slim. Almost looks like he’s fragile with that slender figure. So it’s not actually surprising that one will instinctively being protective to Nat. Especially someone like Asier.

“Okay. Let’s start!” Raul commands them with his coach kind of voice as he claps his hand once.

“Let’s show the new guy what is waiting for him in this team, shall we?” Thiago pats Luca’s shoulder, and throws a quick glance at Nat who walks to his position. Luca chuckles.

“Yeah. Let’s show him what we got," Luca says, grinning rather smugly. 

*******

 

The fact is, what happened then is the other way around. Turned out it was Nat who showed them what he has to offer. Luca hates to admit it, but he can’t even remember when was the last time he finds it so difficult just to try stealing the ball from someone’s feet. It’s like the ball has its own desire to stick to Nat’s feet. And it’s so embarrassing that Nat easily stole the ball from him. Sometimes Thiago even had to shout at Luca from the goalpost as Luca froze and watched with awe when Nat gracefully, magically, just took the ball away from him.

The funny thing is, Luca felt like he almost knew it, that Nat would take the ball away from him. And even funnier, there were a couple of times Luca passed the ball to Nat instead of to the guys on his own side, because he just knew it, he could  _feel_ that Nat was just in the perfect position to receive his passes.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Luca???” Thiago sounds really annoyed as he walks to Luca, removing his goalie gloves.

Luca turns his head to look at Nat, who is beaming a wide smile as Asier and some other guys from his side pulls him to them and give him some high-fives and some pats on the back.

“Did you see him?” Luca turns his head again to look at Thiago who still looks disgruntled. “He’s… He’s _amazing_ …!”

“Yeah. Whatever…” Thiago mumbles and leaves Luca alone. Luca knows Thiago long enough to recognize that tone from Thiago. But right now, he can’t really make himself care about it. Not when a new guy just comes and shows magic like that.

 

*******

“Hey!”

Luca grins as Nat lifts up his head from his shoes. The brunet smiles back at him. A polite kind of smile, and it’s gone before Luca says something else.

“So, how do you like it here?” Luca asks, leaning his shoulder on the locker.

Nat shrugs his shoulder.

“It’s… okay?” he answers. His voice low and a bit hesitant. “But people are nice here.”

Luca stretches his hand to Nat.

“By the way, I believe we haven’t properly met yet. I’m Luca.”

Without standing up from the bench that he is sitting on, Nat takes his hand to for a handshake, but before Luca even had a chance to have a former grip, Nat already pulls his hand away.

“Hi. I’m Nat,” he says, and hides his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Unconsciously, Luca runs his fingers between his hair. This is the first time since this morning they have a chance to be this close, and Luca just notices the freckles on Nat’s face like splattered ink. He never really cared about freckles on someone else’s face before.

“Do you like the weather here?”

By the time the last word falls from his mouth, Luca curses himself for asking the most boring question, ever. But really, there is just something about this guy in front of him that makes him nervous.

Nat stretches his lips a little. Maybe he’s smiling. Maybe. Luca is not sure. But he likes to think that Nat is smiling. At him.

“It’s warmer here.”

Luca bites his lips, trying to find something else to say, something to keep the conversation going.

“Hey, want to go somewhere for a drink? I know this place not-”

Nat stands up hastily as his phone goes off.

“I have to go now. It must be my uncle,” he excuses himself. Without saying anything else, he walks away, not even bother to look back at Luca, who’s still too stunned to realize that his offer has been turned over.

“So, your charm doesn’t work this time, I suppose?”

Making a 90-degree turn, Luca finds Martin Casillas, standing with his arms crossed over his chest grinning amusedly at him.

“Shut up, Martin!”

Martin lets out a small teasing laugh. With easy long steps, the captain makes his way towards Luca and pats his shoulder.

“I know that it something that may sound foreign to you, Luca. But I don’t think our new teammate Nathanael Jiménez is interested to know you better.”

Luca rolls his eyes and slings his backpack on his shoulder.

“You’ll see, Martin. You’ll see. One does not simply ignore Luca Villa.”

He leaves Martin who still has a grin on his face.

As he drives back home, Luca has a strange feeling that there is something about Nat. He just doesn’t know whether it’s a good kind of something, or it’s a bad one.


	2. The New Teammate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Nat's first day in his new club. He meets his new teammates. And he meets Luca Villa.  
> Yes, it is his first time to meet with the striker. But Nat has heard about Luca before.

_You’ll be okay. Just remember all the things that I have told you._

A feeling of missing his father swells inside of him as Nathanael read the message on this phone. He wonders whether his father wrote the message to give a comforting reassurance to him, or to himself.

He quickly texts his father back.

_I will, papá. And yes, I also will remember what you have told me._

“Who is it from?”, Nando, his uncle, asks him from the driver’s side.

“Papá,” Nat answers shortly.

With a knowing smile, Nando nods. He lets out a sigh, and his lips curve up a bit.

“It’s strange, but at the same time, it’s wonderful too, you know? Realizing that so many years ago, it was your late grandfather who drove your papá to the same training ground that you’re going to now.”

Nat doesn’t answer for a while, focusing on the view from the window. What Tío Nando just said was just like what everyone else said when they know that he finally agreed to the transfer. That it’s just wonderful that he will be playing in the same club where his father started gaining his reputation. Oddly enough, his father was the only one who looked hesitant about it. Then again, Nat doesn’t know what the deal was between his father and Raul Albiol, the manager of the club. Whatever it was, it successfully made David Silva finally let his son being transferred from Manchester City EDS to Valencia CF.

“Did he like it here? As much as when papá was in Manchester?”

Tío Nando nods at his question. “He did. He really liked it here. It’s not just a great club. It’s a nice city.”

Nat turns his head to look at his uncle, who has his eyes focused on the road in front of them.

“Did he have a lot of friends here? When he was still playing?”

Nat watches as Tío Nando chews his lower lip. It takes him a second too long before he carefully answers.

“He did. He had a lot of friends here back then,” he pauses, and then adds. “Some of them were his good friends.”

Nat watches the gate of the training facility as they go pass by it. The things that Tío Nando just said just don’t match with the fact that his father almost never talks about Valencia with him. He was even the person who seemed to be the most reluctant one about Nat’s transfer.

“Hey, you already have people waiting for you there.”

Tío Nando’s voice pulls him back to reality. As his uncle stops in front of the main entrance, Nat can see not just Raul, but also Asier, one of his closest friends when they were still teammates in Manchester, standing by the door.

Nando smiles. “So I guess I can leave you here, yes? Raul will surely take care of you.”

Nat nods and grabs his stuffs, and gets out of the car. As he walks to the door, Asier opens his arms widely. A beaming smile is on his face as he greets Nat.

“Nat! I am so glad that you finally join us here!” Asier pulls him into a warm hug, and Nat can’t help to have a smile too on his face.

After Asier, Raul also gives him a hug, patting him on the back.

“Ready for your first day with us?” Raul asks him, his smile is as kind as Nat has always remembered, but excitement gleams in the manager’s eyes.

Nat nods. “Can’t wait to start.”

*******

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to remember all the names yet on your first days,” Asier says as they do light stretching together. Nat chuckles.

“They won’t get mad at me for that, no?”

Asier shakes his head. “We are all excited to have you here, Nat.”

 “Is that all the people in the team?” Nat asks as they start to jog next to each other.

Asier furrows his brow a little, as if trying to remember.

“Ah, I don’t think you have seen Luca yet. I didn’t see him yet. Probably he’s a little bit late.”

“Luca?”

Asier nods. “Luca Villa. You’ve heard of him, right?”

Yes. Of course. Nat has heard that name before. Not just from the news related to football, but also from something that his father said to him, before Nat left to Valencia.

“Uh huh. He wasn’t here?” Nat asks as casual as possible. Which is actually not that difficult for him, as he has been trained to school his expression to be a nonchalant one.

Asier glances over his shoulder, checking the rest of their teammates.

“Oh, he’s here now. The one next to Thiago.”

Out of curiosity, Nat throws a quick glance to their back. Finding the guy that Asier was referring to, he nods.

_Luca Villa._

Yes. He has heard of that name before.

 

_******* _

“Now, pick your mates for the 5-a-side.” Raul gives the command with a stern voice.

Nat bows his head down, shifting a little nervously. He doesn’t really know anyone yet, except for Asier. So he doesn’t know who to pick yet. Even worse, he’s not sure that anyone wants him on their side.

“You’ll be on my team, okay Nat?”

Nat looks up at Asier who slings his arm around Nat’s shoulder, with a thankful smile. He follows Asier to their side, where the others welcome him. Martin pats Nat’s shoulder.

“Can’t wait to see how great it will be to play with you, Nat. My father was so excited when I told him you’re coming. He said your father was brilliant when they played in the National Team.”

Nat returns Martin’s smile. He can see the resemblance of that smile with Iker Casillas’ smile, Martin’s father.

“Okay. Let’s start!” Raul claps his hand once as he ordered the team to start.

 

_******* _

One thing that Nat completely loves about football, it doesn’t really require a lot of talking. As long as he is doing well on playing the ball with his feet, it’s enough. And that is also one of the things that his father has taught him.

_Don’t tell them what you have. Show them what you can do._

And it’s just so refreshing, The familiarity of running and kicking and tackling and passing even though he is doing them in a completely different pitch with the one where he has used to.  When the whistle is blown, signaling the end of the session, the teammates on his side instantly gather around him, ruffling his hair, patting his back while giving him some nice words about how well he played. Nat grins, enjoying the feeling. Somehow, he already feels accepted here. And the thought that he had before on not going to fit in, slowly disappears into the warm air of Valencia.

 

_******* _

Nat was fidgeting with his phone when he heard footsteps coming. He ignores it, but the footsteps coming closer to the bench where he is sitting. A shadow falls on the floor in front of him, along with a greeting.

“Hey!”

Nat lifts up his head, finding Luca looking at him with a grin on his face. Nat curls his lips into a thin smile and quickly stretches it back.

The striker leans his shoulder casually on the locker, still has his eyes on Nat.

“So, how do you like it here?”

Nat shifts a little awkwardly before shrugging his shoulder.

“It’s… okay?” he says carefully, and adds so he doesn’t sound too rude. “But people are nice here.”

Luca doesn’t seem to mind with Nat’s hesitation, as he stretches his hand to Nat.

“By the way, I believe we haven’t properly met yet. I’m Luca.”

Nat takes the hand for a quick, formal handshake, and pulls his hand straight away to put them into the pocket of his jeans.

“Hi. I’m Nat,” he answers, almost feels bad for sounding curt. But then again, it’s Luca _Villa_. And as what he has promised, Nat still remembers clearly what his father said about the guy.

Nat watches cautiously as the guy in front of him runs his fingers between his hair.

“Do you like the weather here?”

Nat almost, almost rolls his eyes, hearing how cliché the question was. But then something strikes his mind. Is Luca nervous? In front of him? The thought of Luca Villa, one of the most promising young talents in football is getting nervous in front of him is something that’s amusing for Nat. He almost smiles because of the thought.

“It’s warmer here,” Nat answers, matter-of-factly. Well, Luca must have known that Nat has just been transferred from Manchester, where sunny days happen 10 times in a year, if they’re lucky. What other answers that he expects to have? _Duh_.

Still a bit amused, Nat watches as Luca bites his lip, as if he is trying to find something to say.

“Hey, want to go somewhere for a drink? I know this place not-”

Before Luca finishes his sentence, Nat’s phone goes off. With a feeling of relief for having a reason to escape from the situation, Nat’s quickly stands up.

“I have to go now. It must be my uncle,” he says, and walks away, leaving Luca. He slides his finger on his phone.

“You’re outside, Tío? I’m coming out now.”

_******* _

As expected, Tío Nando has waited for him in front of the main entrance. His uncle’s smile greets him as Nat enters the car.

“So, how was your first day?”

“Was nice,” Nat answers.

“Have you met all your new teammates?” Tío Nando asks further as he drives away from the training facility.

Nat looks at the golden sky of Valencia. “Kind of, I’ve met most of them.”

_And he finally met Luca Villa._


	3. A Piece of Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luca gets a chance to play with Nat in the training session. He is amazed to find out how well they connect each other. But that's not the only surprising thing that he find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the (super) late update. But don't worry. I have no intention on abandoning this fic :)

The next day, Luca wakes up earlier than usual. Much earlier, his father looks at him in amazement when he walks to the kitchen and finds Luca sitting on the dining table, eating cereals. Villa glances at the clock that tells him it’s about an hour earlier than the usual time for Luca coming down from his bedroom.

“What are you doing?”

Luca only gives his father a quick glance before continuing with his breakfast.

“Breakfast,” he answers, matter-of-factly.

Villa walks slowly to the dining table; his brows furrow a bit. “Any particular plan for today?”

Luca shrugs his shoulder.

“Nothing. Just training,” he says, and grab his glass of milk.

Villa starts the coffee machine, giving his son a side-glance, still a little bemused. It’s his son. So of course, naturally he can sense it, that his son is up to something. Even with that nonchalant expression on Luca’s face, Villa knows that his son is excited about something.

“Okay, got to go now. See you later, Dad!” Luca stands up from his seat and grabs his backpack.

“Hey, don’t forget it’s your turn to cook tonight!” Villa reminds Luca.

Luca looks at his father over his shoulder, his hand already on the doorknob.

“Will pizza be okay?”

Villa sighs, and shakes his head a little.

“Make sure to have extra pepperoni on the topping,” he says.

Luca grins and gives his dad a thumb up.

When Villa pours his coffee to the mug, he can hear the sound of Luca’s car leaving.

 

*******

“Come on!”

Luca looks up, finding Thiago looking at him expectantly. Luca scans the boot room quickly. But much to his disappointment, the person that he’s looking for is not there yet.

“You can go ahead,” Luca murmurs, bending over to untie the strings of his boot just so he can redo it again. But instead of doing what Luca just told him, Thiago takes a seat next to Luca on the bench. He shrugs his shoulders.

“It’s okay, I can wait.”

Luca lets out a sigh, suddenly feels that Thiago is being too clingy to him and it irritates him. It looks like that Thiago is oblivious to what Luca feels.

"Want to hang out in my place after training?” he asks Luca.

Luca stands up. “I can’t. I’ve promised my dad I will cook for dinner today.”

Thiago follows Luca walking away. “I don’t know that you can cook.”

Luca shrugs his shoulder.“I know how to use the oven.” 

He's not lying. He always uses the oven to heat the frozen pizza that he buys from the grocery store.

A familiar laugh makes Luca turns his head around. Over his shoulder, he can see Asier walks into the boot room, one of his arms casually slings on Nat’s shoulder. Suddenly something swirls uncomfortably in his stomach.

“Luca? Come on!”

Two steps away in front of him, Thiago pouts a little. Luca sighs and closing the gap between them. with wide steps

“Okay… okay…” he mumbles. Thiago seems happy enough to have Luca back to his side, he starts talking about something. Luca is not really listening anyway. He’s just wondering, maybe if he has stayed a little bit longer, like two or three minutes longer sitting in the boot room, Nat would have walked in when he was still there. And it would be nice, because it means that Luca could…

Luca inhales sharply, let it out in a long sigh and shakes his head. He himself is not really sure what he would do anyway with Nat around. But deep down inside, there is that strange feeling of wanting to be around Nat. To have Nat around him.

“Luca? What is it?”

Luca shakes his head again. “Nothing. Just thinking about what I will cook for dinner.”

Thiago rolls his eyes, and they walk to where a few of their other teammates already gather for the quick briefing to start today’s training.

 

*******

Yes, Luca knows that Thiago can be clingy sometimes. But today, he finds it particularly irritating. A small part of him feels a bit guilty for that, because they have been friends for so long. And their fathers were once teammates when they both were playing for Barcelona almost three decades ago. Then again, there are times when Luca feels the need to also have others as his companion, especially today.

He jogs next to Thiago as usual ( _as what Thiago always wants, actually_ ). But every now and then he will steal a glance to look over his shoulder, watching how Asier chats with Nat as they jog side by side. A strange envious feeling creeps inside Luca. He usually doesn’t mind at all about Asier being friendly to a new teammate. He knows that Asier is that kind of person. But this time, he finds it quite irritating that Asier keeps on being close to Nat, acting so protective as if he is some kind of an older brother to the new boy.

“So, are you in?”

A light tap from Thiago on his shoulder jolts Luca to come back to reality.

“Say that again?”

Thiago rolls his eyes. He notices that his friend seems to be a bit off today, but he chooses not to say anything about it.

“Well, I’ve told you that Milan is coming here next week. So maybe we can hang out together. For a few drinks, dinner… or something?”

Luca bit his lower lip. He’s never really close to Milan Pique. The reason of why they sometimes hang out together is because Milan is a close friend of Thiago. To be honest, Milan is not the kind of person that Luca will consider as a best friend.

“I don’t know yet whether I will be free next week,” he answers diplomatically. “Let’s just see how it goes later, okay?”

Thiago’s lips turn into a thin line. But Luca tries not to care too much about it.

 

*******

“Okay. I want to see a new combination today,” Raul announces when they about to start another 5-aside routine. A quick side-glance to Thiago who stands next to him is enough for Nat to see a hint of frown on Thiago’s face.

“It means Thiago, you can’t be on the same side with Luca.”

Luca was about to say something like _I’m-sorry-mate_ but the next thing that Raul says jerks his head to look at the coach.

“And Nat, let’s see how well you would connect with Luca.”

Without even realizing that he has a big grin on his face, Luca quickly makes his way to come to Nat, totally oblivious with how Thiago’s expression turn to be even more irritated.

“Hey! Teammates, huh?”

Still with the wide grin on his face, Luca offers his palm for a high-five. A blushing Nat gives him a small smile as he high-fives Luca.

Nat has a great feeling that it will be a good training session.

 

*******

Good? No. It’s beyond good. It’s _amazing_. It really feels like they have the same vision on the pitch. Nat always seems to find a way to give Luca a brilliant pass and Luca always, _always_ in the right position to make something come out of those brilliant passes. Without even looking Luca will know that Nat is there and without even looking Nat gives the pass as if he knows for sure that Luca will get it.

It’s like when you put the right lid on the jar and closed them tightly together without much effort. It’s just…clicks. So well.

When the whistle tells him that the game ends, without really realizing what he’s doing, Luca already runs and wraps his arms around Nat. Nat looks surprised but he smiles anyway when Luca pulls himself away from Nat. Luca can’t help himself to ruffle Nat’s brunet hair.

“Good game that we just had, huh?”

Nat stares at him, with a strange look that Luca can’t really read. But then he smiles. A brilliant, open smile. This is the first time Luca has ever seen Nat smiles like that, so close like this.

And that smile, a smile that lights up his whole face along his brown eyes, suddenly it strikes something in Nat’s mind.

_That smile. He’s seen that smile before._

Luca gasps, mouth half-parted as his mind starts racing to dig deeper into his memories.

“Luca! LUCA!”

Luca turns around. Thiago is walking towards him with a frown on his face.

“You seemed to be really enjoying that session, huh?”

“Uh…” Luca bites his lower lip. Maybe he should have felt guilty for scoring 7 goals against Thiago. But damn, those assists from Nat really make Luca can do awesome things.

“Hey, it’s just a training session, right?” Luca smiles awkwardly, tries to console his friend. He turns his head again to where Nat was, but Nat is already gone. Luca can only see his back, walking with Martin next to him. He can see Martin casually slings his arm around Nat’s waist. Suddenly Luca feels something heavy fills in his stomach.

“Yeah, it’s just a training session…” Thiago’s mumbling makes Luca feels that he has to pat Thiago’s shoulder.

It was just a training season. But Luca can’t wait until he and Nat really come to the pitch for an actual game and create magic together. It will be awesome. Even just thinking about it already makes Luca get excited

*******

  

“So…” Luca takes a seat next to Nat on the bench. “Good training session today, huh? That was a great game that we had.”

Nat turns his head a little to look at Luca, and there is a trace of smile at the slight curve on Nat’s lips. And it’s strange. It’s just strange how a faint smile like that can make Luca forgets to breathe for a second, and forgets to look away from those caramel eyes.

“It’s…pretty good,” Nat replies. He brushes his hair away from covering his eyes.

It strikes Nat again. Just like before.

It’s like he suddenly remembers one of the shattered pieces from a broken memory, that all this time has been hidden somewhere.

Before he knows that he is saying it, the words just slipped from Luca’s lips.

“Hey, have we met before?”

All of the sudden, that faint smile completely disappears from Nat’s face, replaced by an expression that shows nothing, nothing at all. Nat’s eyes are wary when he asked Luca back.

“Have you ever been to Manchester before?”

Luca shakes his head. “Nope. I used to live in the US for a few years but then me and my Dad moved back to Spain.”

Nat shrugs his shoulders. “So I am pretty sure that no, we haven’t met before.”

Nat swiftly stands up. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Before Luca has a chance to say anything, Nat already walks away. All that Luca can do is only watches Nat’s back, until he’s out of sight.

Luca brushes his face with both hands. He’s not really sure what is happening with him right now, aside that there is something, something that he can’t really put his finger on to yet. Letting out a long, almost desperate sigh, Luca stands up from the bench. Maybe taking a shower will help him clear his mind.

He is just a step away from entering the changing room to get his stuff when he hears Martin’s voice.

“So, tell me Asier. Was Nat as amazing as what he's shown us today when he was still in Manchester?”

Luca stops. Holding his breath, he stands closer to the wall, trying to listen more. The next thing that he can hear is the sound of Asier laughing.

“Oh, of course! He’s the hero when City EDS won their last silverware. But nobody really gets surprised that he is that good anyway. To be honest, I think people have already expected him to be as talented as his father.”

Luca’s brows furrowed. Nat’s father was also a football player? Luca tries to list the name of retired football players. But as long as he can remember, there is no Jimenez in the name of famous players that he can think of.

Martin chuckles. Luca carefully leans a little, getting more curious. Then he can hear Martin continues his conversation with Asier.

“From what I have seen, I think he can be the next wizard, just like his father, David Silva.”

David. _Silva_.

A shiver runs down through Luca’s spine.

That name.

 _David Silva_.

Tío David.

As if he is walking in a dream, Luca turns around, making his way out. Sitting on the bench where he and Nat just had their short conversation, Luca covers his face with both hands.

Of course.

 _Tío David_.

He starts to remember. Pieces of memories from his childhood, when Tío David came to visit and played with him.

_That smile._

The smile when Tío David smiled at Luca when he ruffled Luca’s hair, telling him that he would be a fantastic footballer, just like Dad.

The way Nat brushes his hair away from his eyes.

It’s the same with the way Tío David brushed his hair from covering his eyes, when he and Dad were sitting side by side on the couch, watching a football game together and talked about it.

It’s like his heart is now in his throat, making his breathing heavy. Some fractured memories, random flashes of what happened so long ago play in his mind.

He finds one dot now.

Nat is David Silva’s son. Tío David is Nat’s father.

Now he needs to find another dots, and connect them together.


	4. What Nobody Wants to Talk About

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat finds out that Luca's father was also a football player. But why it seems like people that he knows don't want to talk about that?

Nat shifts awkwardly, realizing that Raul is looking at him with a strange look. Yes, he is smiling slightly. But there is something in the coach’s eyes that almost looks like a sentimental look.

“Uhmm… Mister?”

Raul blinks.

“Something’s wrong?”

That slight smile is turned into a wide grin as Raul pats his shoulder. He shakes his head.

“No no… Of course no, Nat. How come anything is wrong with you and Luca play so well together?”

Nat feels his cheeks are burning, and bows his head down.

“Well, he is a very good player. Luca,” Nat says.

“You too, Nat. And just like your father and his, you two click really well together.”

Brows furrowed a little, Nat lifts up his head and stares at Raul, confused.

“Excuse me?”

For a mere second, Raul looks startled. But that startled look disappears quickly, replaced with a smile.

“I said, your father and his father must be really proud of you.”

Nat’s lips curl into a small smile. His father is someone he always looks up to. And his heart always swells with fondness every time people talk about him.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Raul pats his shoulder once again before walks away, leaving Nat waiting for his uncle to pick him up.

Nat watches Raul’s back, thinking about something that Raul has kind of implied.

So, Luca’s father is also a football player? Interesting.

*******

Nat is still thinking about what Raul said when he is having dinner. Tonight they even have another person joining them, Tío Juan.

Nat always likes Tío Juan. He’s always a calm, cool-headed person that always uses his logic in doing something. That’s why he always comes to Tío Juan whenever he needs to make an important decision.

“You seem a bit quiet,” Tío Nando asks from across the dining table. “Everything’s okay?”

Nat looks up and tries to give his uncle an assuring smile.

“Yeah. I am just…a little tired.”

Next to him, Tío Juan smiles. “Raul doesn’t give you a hard time, does he?”

Nat shakes his head. “No. He’s been a very good coach. And it seems all the other players respect him a lot.”

Juan’s smile gets a bit wider. “I always know that one day he would be a good coach.”

Nat bites his lower lip, and decides to ask.

“You also used to play with him in Valencia, right?”

Juan nods as he takes another sip from his glass.

“And with Papa too?”

Juan puts his glass back on the table, and nods again.

“Yes. You know that,” he leans his back on the chair, and sighs. “Oh, those good old times in when all of us were playing together instead of playing against each other…”

“So I assume you know some other players that also used to play with Papa when he was still in Valencia?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Juan turns his head to look at Nat. He tilts his head a little to the left as he studies Nat’s expression. “What is it? Why you ask about it?”

For reason he doesn’t know, Nat feels his heart beats lightly faster.

“Oh, nothing important,” Nat says. He takes his glass of water and drinks from it, just to avoid eye contact with Juan. And then, studying his face into an expressionless one, he looks at Juan.

“It’s just something that Raul said to me, about Papa and another player who used to play with him.”

Nat is an observer. That’s why he doesn’t miss the way Juan’s expression changes into a wary one. But Juan still has a small smile on his face when he asks Nat.

“Really? Did Raul mention his name?”

Nat shakes his head. He puts his glass back, and brushes his hair away from his eyes.

“No. But he mentioned something about this guy’s son being my teammate.”

Nat almost swears that he can hear a small gasp from across the table. He can hear Tío Nando mumbles something about need to take something from the kitchen. Nat still has his eyes fixed on Juan, fully aware that the smile has disappeared now. Tío Juan is not actually frowning or looking upset. He just look cautious. A little bit nervous.

“Oh? And…who is this teammate of you?”

“Luca,” Nat says. “Luca Villa.”

Juan blinks, but he quickly smiles. Still, Nat knows that it’s not a comfortable smile.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I remember him…”

“So, was his father also used to play in Valencia? Along with Papá?”

Juan takes his eyes away from looking at Nat to the glass in front of him. He clears his throat.

“Well-”

As if it’s on cue, Juan’s phone goes off. Juan almost jumps from his chair. Nat can clearly see how Juan’s expression changes into a relieved one.

“Oh, sorry Nat. I have to take this one.”

With his phone on his left ear, Juan stands up from the chair and walks away from the dining table. Nat sighs. He places his fork and knife neatly on his plate and stands up. He makes his way to his bedroom upstairs, but knowing he won’t be able to sleep as soon as he wants too.

*******

His father has some concerned expressions on his face as he asks Nat. “How’s training?”

Nat smiles at the screen. “It’s good, Papá. You don’t have to worry. Really.”

“Raul treats you well? Does Asier take care of you? Pablo has promised me that he will talk to Asier about making you feel comfortable.”

“Papá, believe me. I am all right here. All of my teammates are very nice, and yes, Raul has also been a very good coach.”

“Good,” his father smiles softly. “I am happy that you’re doing well there.”

“I’ve promised you that I’ll be okay here. Remember?”

Nat watches as his father bites his lower lip. He can see some streaks of gray hair between his father’s hair, that has the same shade of brown like his.

“So,” his father clears his throat before he continues. “You… You have met all of your teammates?”

Without his father saying anything, Nat already knows what his father actually means. So he nods.

“Yeah, all of them,” he continues with a softer voice. “Including Luca.”

He doesn’t see any changes in David’s expression. But he knows it. He just knows it, that there is something beyond words that his father is not telling him.

“Oh?” his father tilts his head a little to the left. “How is he?”

“He’s… good…” Nat shifts a little on his seat. “He plays really well.”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

“Papá…”

“Hm?” David raises one of his eyebrows. He looks back at Nat with questioning eyes.

Nat bites his lower lip, thinking whether he should ask his father about the things he has been really curious about. But then he remembers how hesitant Tío Juan when he asked him about it. And still, a small voice at the back of his head tells him that this is not the right time yet. So he stretches his lips up into a smile.

“I miss you. Tell me about home.”

Seeing how his father’s eyes light up, Nat feels a rush of fondness. He might not find the answer of the question that he is looking for right now. But his father is the person he cares the most in the world. And seeing that light in his father’s eyes, Nat doesn’t mind to wait a little longer to find the answer.

*******

More than an hour after he talked with his father on Skype, Nat is still sitting in front of his laptop. Browsing without really paying attention to what is on his screen, his mind keeps going back to Raul’s words. Rubbing his hands over his face, Nat tries to tell himself that it’s nothing important.

He fails. He knows that there must be something behind all of this. And he knows that sooner or later, he will find out about it. Sooner is better. And maybe, it’s even better if he can find it out by himself.

He glances at the small numbers at the corner of the screen in front of him. It’s almost midnight. His fingers tremble a bit when he types Luca’s full name on the search bar.

It’s not hard at all for Nat to finds who is Luca’s father.

He’s staring at the words on the screen.

_David Villa Sanchez._

Nat chews his lip. He closes his eyes for a while, taking a deep breath.

He types in some other words in the search box

_“David Villa” “David Silva” Valencia_

When he hits enter, his heart skips a beat. He’s not sure whether he is ready yet. He wants to know. He really does want to know. But now, suddenly he’s not sure whether he’s ready to find out.

He’s dying to know, but too scared to find out.

He raises his eyebrows seeing the number of results that shows up. He stares at the screen blankly, doesn’t really want to read anything on the screen. And then he moves the cursor to search for images.

A bunch of pictures shows up on the screen.

Nat leans forward a little and starts scrolling down. His father looks so young in those pictures.  As he keeps on scrolling down, the creases between his brows get deeper.

He still can’t really figure out what is it exactly the answer that he is looking for. He’s not even sure what the question is anymore.

But one thing for sure, he knows that there is something beyond words that his father is not telling him. Something about the look in his father’s eyes in those pictures. Something about that smile on David Villa’s face.

Nat closes his eyes, and leans back to the chair he is sitting on. Opening his eyes, he stares blankly at the ceiling. Another question now lingers in his mind.

Does he really want to know about this?


	5. Collecting Pieces of Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Luca tries to find another dots to connect.

Luca opens up his eyes after his failed attempt of taking a short nap. It’s been a while since he got back from training, but he still can’t get over the fact that he just realized. He sighs and sits up on his bed. Rubbing his face with both hands, he stands up. He starts pacing around in his room, with so many thoughts running around in his mind.

A plan. He needs a plan. What kind of plan that he needs, though? Luca shakes his head, and groans in the frustration of not knowing what to do. 

Ten minutes later, he shakes his head again and makes the decision. He needs to do something about this. He doesn’t know yet what exactly this is all about, where this is all will lead to. But he needs to do something anyway. So he grabs his phone, and swipes his finger on the screen to make a call.

He tries to control his heartbeat as he waits for the phone to be picked up. But still, hearing the voice at the other end of the line startles him a bit.

“Luca? Hey! What’s up?”

“Olaya, I need to ask you something.”

“Oh, nice to hear from you, _hermano_. I am very well, and so is Dylan. thank you for asking.”

Luca walks to his bed and sits there. His thumb flies to his temple to massage it. “Olaya, listen. I am serious.”

Luca can hear Olaya chuckles before she answers. “Okay. What is it?”

Luca rubs his forehead with his palm. He suddenly realizes he can’t find a way to ask her the question without making her get suspicious.

“Olaya, how much do you remember from our childhood?”

“Quite a lot. Including the part when you thought that it was a good idea to have my dolls as the target for you to practice kicking the ball.”

Deciding to ignore Olaya’s last words, Luca asks her again. “How much do you know about Dad’s friends?”

“Well, I still remember a lot of his friends when Dad was in Barca…” Olaya pauses a while. “Especially Valdes…” she giggles.

Luca holds himself from groaning.

“You know what, Olaya? Never mind. Forget that I’ve ever asked.”

“Luca?”

Luca hangs up without giving further explanation. He needs to move on to Plan B. He dials another number.

“Hello?”

“Zaida?

“Luca? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Kind of. Sort of.”

“Is Dad okay?”

Luca bites his lower lip. Maybe he stays silent for a second too long, because Zaida’s voice when she speaks again sounds more concerned.

“Luca, tell me. What is happening?”

Luca can have a mental image of his oldest sister furrowing her eyebrows.

“Zaida, I need to ask you something.”

“Okay.”

“Do you still remember when Dad was still playing in Valencia?”

“Not really. I was still so small at that time.”

“But… do you… do you still remember one or two of Dad’s teammates?”

“Yeah… I guess so. I still remember Tio Juan, and… Raul, of course.”

“Do you…” Luca pauses to take a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. “Do you remember… Tío David?”

This time, it's Zaida who makes the silence between them stretch a little bit too long. Luca waits in silence. His heart is beating so fast in his rib cage.

“Yes…”

Luca can hear the hesitation in Zaida’s voice. Luca lets out the breath that he doesn’t realize he’s been holding. “How much do you remember about him? What do you remember?”

“Luca, I…” Zaida lets out a sigh. “Listen. It’s been so long. I don’t think I can tell you a lot about it.”

“He used to visit us every now and then, right? Even when we were in New York.”

“Luca-”

“But then suddenly he never visited us anymore. He just stopped coming. He just disappeared. What happened, Zaida?”

For the second time, Zaida stays silent for a while.

A nauseous feeling swirls in Luca’s stomach. He sits down on his bed, still with his phone on his ear. “What happened, Zaida? Even Mom and Dad never talked about him anymore.”

Zaida sighs. “Luca, it’s… It was a complicated situation.”

Luca shuts his eyes close for a second.  He opens his eyes slowly. His voice is trembling when he speaks again.

“Did it have…something to do with…” he gulps down a little. He didn’t expect that it will be this hard. “Is it the reason why-”

“Luca, I cannot talk to you about this right now.”

“Why, Zaida? Why? Why Mom and Dad and now you… why all of you seem to try erasing him? What did Tío David do wrong?”

“Luca, it’s not something that can be talked over the phone, okay?”

Luca breathes out heavily. “Fine. If you say so. I’ll figure it out by myself, then.”

Luca ends the call, and throws his phone away on the bed.

He lays down on the bed and buries his head on the pillow. Now that he remembers one thing, it only creates other questions for him.

*******

Villa lifts up his head from his plate when he hears Luca entering the kitchen.

“Hey, thanks for bringing that home,” he gestures to the box of pizza, laying opened on the table. “But it seemed like you haven’t had one. Or you have finished one whole pizza already?”

Luca shakes his head as he sits by the table, across his father.

“Not hungry,” he mumbles.

Villa raises his eyebrows. But he shrugs his shoulders, and takes another bite of the pizza on his plate.

Luca watches his father eating. On one hand, he really wants to ask him about so many things. Wants him to answer so many questions that he has now. But he also knows that his father has gone through a lot of things too. The divorce between him and Luca’s mother happened a year after Villa retired from professional football. And while his mother decided to start a new life in NYC, along with Zaida and Olaya, Luca went with Villa, back to Spain. Villa started a store in Valencia that sells sporting equipment. Luca knows the struggle that his father has gone through to finally expand his store to be as big as it is right now. That what makes Luca loves him and always looks up to his father. That is also the reason why he doesn’t want to do anything that can upset Villa. And he knows, that asking his father the questions that have been lingering in his mind, it's not the best way to put a smile on his face.

“What is it?”

Villa’s question startles Luca a bit.

Villa takes his glass of coke and drinks from it. He looks at his son again.

“Something’s wrong? Anything you want to tell me? You’ve been a bit quiet, and the way you’ve been staring at me is a bit concerning. Don’t worry, you’re my son anyway so you have a chance to look as hot as me when you reach my age.”

Luca groans while Villa chuckles with a proud grin.

“You know what Dad?”

Villa takes another gulp from his glass of coke. He raises one of his eyebrows, signaling Luca to continue.

“I am just wondering. Why Valencia?”

Villa puts his glass back. There is a small frown on his face, as he looks at Luca with confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Luca chews his lips before he replies.

“I mean… after you and Mom…” he stops there. Years after the separation, something still stings a little in his heart. And he knows that even thought it might not hurt as much as it used to, the scar is also still there in his father’s heart. He clears his throat and changes his words when he repeats the question.

“When you left New York and go back to Spain, why you chose to live in Valencia instead of in another city?”

Villa’s expression changes to be a little bit wary. But in front of Luca, he shrugs his shoulder casually.

“Well, you know that I used to live here when I was still playing, right? And I really like this city.”

Keeping his eyes at his father’s, Luca asks again.

“Why not Barcelona, then? You also used to play in Barca, and that’s where I was born. Or maybe even Madrid. You also used to play in Madrid.”

Luca doesn’t miss the way his father blinks, and how it looks like there is a shadow casts over his face. Villa looks away. His hand gripping his glass. The silence hangs heavily in the air for a while.

And then Villa takes a deep breath, and slowly lets it out. He turns his head back at Luca. There is a smile, a sad kind of smile curved on his lips.

“Let me just say, that there is something in Valencia that is just… irreplaceable…”

Even though Villa is looking at Luca, Luca can see that his father’s eyes are looking at something else. Something far away in the past.

Something…or is it _someone?_

His father looks down at the glass in his hand. Something clenches inside Luca’s chest to see how his father suddenly looks so fragile, so vulnerable.

“What is it, Luca?” Villa slowly lifts up his head again to stare at Luca. “You don’t like it here, son? Because if you don’t, we can always-”

“No no no, Dad.” Luca shakes his head, cutting his father’s words. “I really like it here. And I am as happy as you are to be here.”

A small smile of relief lights up on Villa’s face.

“Really?”

Luca nods. “Yeah. Of course. Like you say, Valencia is just… irreplaceable. It’s nothing like anywhere else.”

Luca runs his hand on the back of his neck a little awkwardly. “Well, I think I better go to sleep now. Or I’ll be late for training tomorrow.”

Villa nods. “You better not. Raul won’t like it.”

Luca stands up from the chair. “Good night, Dad.”

“Good night.”

Luca walks away from the dining table. He stops at the door frame and turns his head around to look back at Villa.

“Hey, Dad?”

“Hm?”

Luca smiles at Villa over his shoulder.

“I love you, Dad. I really do. No matter who you really are.”

His father looks too stunned to respond. Luca himself doesn’t give Villa a chance to say anything.

Now Villa is looking at the door frame, where Luca was there a moment ago.

He sighs.

“I love you too, son,” he whispered.


	6. Asking Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat talks to three different people. But he's looking for one answer.

*******

Even the night after, Nat still can’t brush off the questions from his head. In the training, he has been carefully making sure that he didn’t have to interact with Luca than what was necessary. Now he is pacing around his room with so many thoughts running in his head.

He sits on his bed and closes his eyes. He needs answers. The question is, from whom he can get it?

Chewing his lower lip, Nat considers the options that he has. Tió Nando and Tió Juan are not the ones whom he can get the answer from, Nat decides. He needs someone else. Someone who is close enough with his father, who knows his father well enough.

He reaches out for his phone. He was absently browsing the picture, but then he sees it. A picture of his father, and someone that Nat knows for sure is someone that his father trusts.

Uncle James.

For what he knows, Uncle James and Uncle Joe are some of the closest friends that his father has. While Uncle Joe is a very fun person and always seems to find something to laugh about, Uncle James is more quiet, but also a more comforting one. Nat knows how his father has a different smile every time he is with Uncle James. Even though Uncle James and his father were no longer teammates, Nat knows that it doesn’t change their friendship. There are times when Nat actually wonders whether they ever consider of getting married, or at least, live together.

With a deep breath, Nat slides his finger on his phone screen.

It doesn’t take long for Uncle James to pick up his phone.

“Nat! Hey! How are you?”

“Hello Uncle James. I’m good here. How are you doing?”

He can hear Uncle James laugh a little. “I am good, Nat. As good as a boring person like me can do.”

“Uncle James, I need to ask you something.”

“Huh? Ask me? What is it about, Nat”

Nat lets out a long sigh. “Uncle James, before Papá played for City, he played for Valencia, right?”

“Uh huh,” James’ voice still sounds calm. “Just like you now.”

Nat bows his head down. His finger starts tracing the geometric pattern of his bedsheet.

“Do you... do you know a lot about how Papá was doing when he was in Valencia? I mean, did he talk a lot about it with you?”

Nat can hear James hums. “Well, not really. Sometimes he talked about it. But you know your father. He… he doesn’t talk that much.”

Nat nods. “Did he ever talk to you about his previous teammates?”

The silence stretches for a little too long before James answers him. “Some of them, yes.”

Nat closes his eyes and shakes his head a little.

“What is it, Nat?”

Now he can hear the cautious tone in James’ voice.

“Uncle James, did Papá ever talk to you about…” Nat pauses a while, before continuing carefully. “David Villa?”

This time the silence hangs longer than before. Then Nat hears a long sigh at the other end of the line.

“Sometimes. Just a little bit.”

“What… How…” Nat stops. Suddenly he realizes that he doesn’t really know how to put the questions in his head into words. Maybe because there are too many of them. Maybe because Nat himself still feels a bit scared about what he might know.

“Nat,” James speaks before Nat finds a word to continue his question. “Listen. I am not in the position of telling you about what was it between your father and… that guy. Just, please remember that whatever it was, it happened in the past.”

Nat clutches his phone a bit tighter. “Maybe it happened in the past. But I want to know.”

“Nat-”

“Uncle James, this is something…important, yes? Otherwise, other people won’t keep it away from me as a secret. You won’t keep it as a secret from me. Please, I need to know about this.”

“Nat…” James sighs, and Nat can mentally picture that James is shaking his head. “I don’t know…”

“Uncle James, please. I need to know. Especially now that… David Villa’s son is my teammate here.”

He vaguely hears a gasp.

“Luca Villa is one of my teammate here. And David Villa is his father, right?”

James’ voice when he answers Luca’s question sounds cautious. “Nat, as I’ve told you before, I don’t think I have the right to tell you about what happened. What I know is close to nothing.”

Nat runs his fingers between his hair. He starts to get a little frustrated.

“Why? Why do everyone keep this…” he vaguely moves his hand around in the air. “Whatever it is between Papá and that David bloody Villa, as a secret from me?”

“Nat,” James has his calm fatherly voice back. “You may not understand about it now. But believe me, your father only wants what he thinks is the best for you.”

Nat doesn’t answer. Closing his eyes, he tries to breathe normally.

“Nat, listen. Your father, he just doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

Nat opens his eyes again.

 _Hurt_?

 

*******

“Asier!”

“Nat! Hey, good morning!” Asier greets him with a wide smile as usual. But his smile fades a little and turns into a small confusion when Nat grabs his hand and pulls him aside.

“Asier, listen. I need your help. Please. This is important.”

Asier’s eyebrows shoot up as he looks at Nat, perplexed.

“Can you help me?”

Asier still holds his gaze at Nat, cocking his head a little. But then he nods. “Sure. What is it?”

Nat lets out a sigh of relief. “Okay. Listen, it’s going to sound weird, but…”

Asier is a good friend. That is why he doesn’t ask any question when Nat is explaining what he wants Asier to do, even though it does indeed, sounds weird.

 

*******

_I can do this. Relax. Make it as casual as possible. I can do this_.

Nat is chanting the words quietly to himself as he walks to the training ground next to Asier. Asier nudges him a little. With his chin, he gestures at Luca who is standing next to Thiago, doing some light stretching.

“Now?” he whispers. Nat nods.

Asier nods back. Nat starts jog a little, and after two seconds, he can hear Asier’s shouting.

“Hey, Thiago! Come here! I need to talk to you!”

As he keeps on jog to where Thiago and Luca are standing, Nat can see how Thiago turns his head at Asier, looking a bit irritated.

“Oh, come on, Thiago! Quick! We don’t have much time!” Asier’s voice becomes more insistent.

Nat bows his head a little when Thiago walks pass him with wide steps. He can vaguely hear Thiago grumbles. Nat lifts up his head again. Just a few meters away, he can see Luca’s back.

Nat stops next to Luca.

“Hey,” he greets Luca with a casual tone.

He hears Luca gasps a little as he turns his head to look at Nat. In a second, Luca already back to his stretching routine.

“Hey,” he greets Nat back, without looking at him.

Nat starts stretching next to him.

“So,” he starts. “I watched some videos on your goals and skills last night.”

“Really?” Luca jolts his head and stares at Nat with wide eyes. A childlike expression is painted on his surprised face.

“Uh huh,” Nat nods, maintaining his casual tone as he keeps on stretching. “You’re good. Really good. I am totally impressed.”

“Oh,” Luca says, rather quietly. “Thank you.”

Luca has his eyes looking at the ground. But from the corner of his eyes, he can see how Luca’s face flushes into a brighter shade.

“How long have you played football?”

Luca shrugs his shoulder. “Since forever? I’ve started kicking balls around since I start to walk.”

Nat nods. “Is Valencia your first professional club?”

Luca gives him a quick glance before answering. “Yeah. Kind of. I was in VCF Mestalla before I got in the first team here.”

“Who inspired you to be a footballer?”

This time Luca answers quickly without any hesitation. “My father.”

“Ah. Interesting.” Nat says, as if he knew nothing about it. He keeps stretching, studying his expression into a nonchalant one. Still, he can see Luca is now glancing at him.

“So your father was also a football player, I assume?”

“Yes. He was,” Luca answers him with a proud tone.

“What clubs that he has played for?” Nat asks another question.

“Some clubs,” Luca answers vaguely. But in his mind, Nat already lists all the name of the clubs that David Villa once played for. Starting from Zaragoza to NYCFC.

“Was Valencia one of them?” Nat tries his best not to have his voice shaking when he asks.

It takes a second too long before Nat answers.

“Yes. He played for Valencia once.”

Then suddenly Luca stops stretching. “And you know what?”

Somehow, the tone of Luca’s voice makes Nat stops too, and stares at Luca. The taller guy is staring at him with something in his eyes. Something that Nat cannot put into words.

“When Dad was playing in Valencia, he used to play with your father, Nat.”

Nat gasps. He freezes where he’s standing.

“David _Silva,_ ” Luca continues, holding his eyes firmly at Nat. “My dad used to play with your father, when they were together in Valencia.”

It’s not only his body that is freezing now. His brain also freezes. His knees feel too weak to hold his body. Nat wants to say something to Luca. Wants to ask him questions. But he can’t. He just can’t. He just stares at Luca, who is also staring back at him.

“Okay guys! Five laps! Now!”

Nat blinks when he hears Raul shouting his orders to the players. He opens his mouth, but Thiago just shows up from behind his back, and pulls Luca’s arm.

“Come on, Luca!” Thiago hisses.

Without saying anything, Luca turns around and starts jogging. Thiago turns his neck a little at Nat, shooting him an unfriendly glare before he follows Luca.

Nat closes his eyes. He shakes his head a little, and sighs.

Like it or no, he is going to ask one of the people that he knows will have the answers to his questions.

 

*******

“Nat, what is it?”

The concern in David’s eyes makes Nat feel a little guilty. A little voice in his head tells him that maybe he shouldn’t have done this. But there is another voice, speaking louder, telling him that it’s about time for him to know the truth.

“Nat? What is it? You said you need to talk to me about something.”

Nat lifts up his head from the keyboard of his laptop, and tries to give a reassuring smile at his father. Looks like he fails. Because on the screen, he can see David’s brows furrow down.

Nat lets out a sigh. He brushes his face with both hands.

“Nat?” David’s voice gets softer this time. “You know you can always talk to me about everything, right?”

Nat nods, once again try to smile. David stares at him carefully.

“Is it…” his father asks carefully. “Is it has something to do with Luca?”

Nat gasps unconsciously.

“How… how do you know?”

David laughs a little. But his eyes don’t show any amusement. “A father’s intuition,” he nods a little, and then adds. “Also, James called me earlier this morning.”

Nat groans. “I should have asked Uncle James not to tell you!”

“Nat, you know that he just cares so much about you.”

“I think Uncle James care about anything that is related to you, Papá.”

Nat just can’t help it. He just can’t help to tease David about it. Somehow, he always thinks that Uncle James is the only one he knows that can make David’s eyes light up brightly when he smiles.

David looks away from Nat for a second, then coughs a little.

“So, what is it?” David asks him, clearly avoiding any conversation that can lead to Nat teasing him more about James.

Nat sighs again.

“Papá, I just need you to be honest to me.”

Nat carefully watches how David shifts a little on his seat. One of his hand flies to the back of his head, running through his own hair. Nat knows it‘s a gesture that David always shows whenever he gets nervous.

“Nat-”

“Papá,” Nat cuts his father. “You ask me to always be honest to you, right? So why can’t you be honest to me?”

David chews his lip a little. Then he laughs nervously. “Why do I feel that this conversation sounds like a cliché one that a couple usually have when they are arguing?”

“Papá,” Nat ignores David’s attempt to distract him. “I just don’t think it’s fair if you want somebody to do something for you, but you yourself are not willing to do the same thing for them.”

This time David says nothing. He looks away from Nat, and for some time, he looks blankly to his side. Nat waits. Then finally, his father sighs.

“Okay. I promise you.”

This is it. This is the time.

“Papá, when you told me that I have to watch out for Luca _Villa_ , why was it?”

David blinks. For a second, he looks like he’s frantically trying to make up something to answer Nat’s question.

“Well, Luca has been Valencia’s best player for a while, so I am just worried that he’ll get jealous of your talent and-”

Nat shakes his head. “Papá. The _truth_.”

David closes his eyes. He rubs his face with both hands.

“Nat…” he pauses. “What did James tell you when you ask him about this?”

Nat shrugs his shoulders. “He just said that you want what’s best for me.”

“And that’s true,” David says. “I just want the best for you. And that is why…”

David stops there. He looks down. Nat can see how his shoulders moving up and down, like David is trying to calm himself down from something.

When David finally lifts up his head to look at Nat, he can see a mist of sadness in David’s eyes.

“And that… is why I don’t want you to get heartbroken too. I don’t want you to do the same mistake like I did, so long ago.”

Nat inhales sharply. His feet freeze, and the cold quickly goes up throughout his body.

In front of him, on the screen, David starts talking. Starts unraveling a story that once was buried. A story that did not end like a fairy tale.

Meanwhile, Nat freezes on his seat. Listening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh, the process of writing this fic has gone into an unexpected turn because of...some things. Anyway, let me know what you think about this fic.


	7. Knowing the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David is wondering whether talking with Nat about the past is the right thing to do. He has done it anyway.  
> Nat is wondering whether talking about the past is the right thing to do. He will do it anyway.

David gazes at the view of the sea from the window. Eyes watching the sparkling blue water under the bright blue sky, his mind wanders to the things he finally told Nat about last night. He’s still not sure whether what he has done is the best thing to do. But somehow, there is a part of him that feels some kind of relief. The relief of no longer having to keep a secret. Sometimes concealing the truth can hurt even more than telling it.

A knock on the door makes David turns around on his swivel chair.

“Yes?”

The door creaks opened a little. Chloe, her niece who is also working at the business office of this small hotel that David owns, pops her head in.

“Tío David?”

David raises his eyebrows in question.

Chloe smiles at him. “There are some people who want to see you.”

David furrows his brows a little as he tries to remember whether he has any business appointment for today. Nothing that he can remember.

“Who? What do they want?” David asks, a little bit irritated. The conversation that he had last night with Nat left him mentally exhausted, and he's not ready yet to talk with strangers.

Chloe opens her mouth to answer. But before she says anything, the door already swings wider. A tall guy walks in with a smile that still looks so familiar for David, even though it’s been quite a while since the last time he saw it.

“Who? One of the most amazing football commentator. Here to see how his friend is doing.”

David instantly stands up from his chair, and makes a bee line towards Joe. Joe is grinning at him, with open hands.

“Joe! You’re here!” David says as he wraps his arms around Joe to hug him.

Joe hugs him back. He pulls away, and then ruffles David’s hair. _Just like the good old days_ , David thinks, almost sentimentally.

“How are you, you little wizard? Must be missing the rain in Manchester, aren’t you?”

David laughs a little. “Well, having the privilege to see the sea every day doesn’t give me the chance of missing Manchester’s weather.”

“But surely there are people that you miss in Manchester, huh?”

David’s head jolts to where the sound came from. James is standing by the door with both hands hidden in his pocket. He’s smiling. That quiet, small smile, like he knows what David is thinking without him having to say it.

With wide steps, David makes his way towards James. He can feel that he is smiling so widely, he may look like an idiot, but he can’t make himself to care.

David hugs James, and the English man gently pats his back. David lets out a relieved sigh, feeling a little better than he was before.

“What are you guys doing here?” David asks as he pulls himself away from James.

Joe shrugs. “Well, Sky won’t need me until the next two weeks, so I have some free times,” he turns a little, then lays an arm on James’ shoulder, pulling the guy closer. “And suddenly, out of the blue, our boring fellow here called me with an idea about going to a hotel by a boring beach in Gran Canaria.”

David chuckles. With his arms crossed over his chest, David half-sits on his desk. He looks at his former teammates, still can hardly believe to see them here.

“So, I guess one of your main intention to go here is to see that _boring_ beach?”

Joe snaps his fingers. “Exactly. And to get all the sunshine that the weather can offer here.”

David stretches his neck a little to look at Chloe. The girl is still standing by the door with a small amused smile on her face.

“Chloe? Can you take our guests to one of our special suites?”

Chloe nods. “Certainly, Tío David.”

She takes a step forward and nods again at Joe. “I’ll show you the way, Sir.”

Whistling a tune, Joe follows Chloe. It's not long before he starts asking her questions. David sighs when Joe’s voice disappear behind the walls.

He turns his head a little to look at James. James is still standing by his desk. He is gazing at the window, a pensive look in his eyes. David walks closer, and stands next to him.

“Beautiful view that you have from here,” James says, still has his eyes on the sight.

“Uh huh…” David hums.

For a while, none of them say anything. They both stand next to each other, looking at how the waves crash at the sand on the beach, glistening under the sun.

“So, how are you, David?”

“I am good…” David answers, stealing a glance at James. Without looking back at David, James nods.

“How is Nat?”

David chews his lower lip.

“He is good… I guess?” David says, then lets out another long sigh. “Well, I hope so…”

“Did you tell him?”

This time, James turns his head to look straight at David’s eyes.

Without looking at James. David gives him a single nod to answer.

“What was his reaction?”

David shrugs his shoulder.

“He’s…okay, I guess? He's just…” David pauses, and looks up to the ceiling. Then he turns to look at James.

“He’s just quiet. So I guess he’s okay,” David sounds more like trying to convince himself about his own words.

James stares at David with an understanding look in his eyes.

“What about _you_ , David. Are you okay?”                   

David sighs, and gives James a small smile. “I am okay…”.

Turning to face the window again, David says, almost whispering. “At least, I am trying to."

James takes his hand and holds it gently. “Everything is going to be alright, David,” he says, looking at the same horizon that David is gazing at.

David holds his hand back, and rests his head on James’ shoulder. James feels like something solid, like an anchor that stays there. A solid ground that gives David a comforting feeling, that everything will be alright.

“It’s going to be alright, yes?” David asks.

James kisses the top of David’s head. He squeezes David’s hand a little.

“Yes, David. At the end of the day, everything will be alright.”

 

*******

A shadow falls on Nat when he is tying his boots. Looking for the one that blocks the light, Nat lifts up his head. Luca is standing right in front of him.

“Hey,” Luca says.

Nat bows down again to tie the lace on his left boot. Lifting his head again, he greets Luca back with a small, polite smile.

“Hey.”

“We need to talk.”

Nat stares at Luca. His smile has gone as his lips go into a thin line. He sighs, and brushes away some of his hair that covers his eyes.

“About what?” he asks, even though he knows that it is an empty, rhetorical question.

“You know what I want to talk about."

Should we?”

Luca turns his head away from Nat. Nat quietly watches Luca’s chest moving up and down quicker. It takes a few seconds before Luca looks back at him.

“How much that you know?”

Nat shrugs. “Not much. And there is always at least, two sides of a story.”

Luca chews his lips. “What I know is next to nothing.”

“Have you asked your dad about it?”

Luca quickly shakes his head. “I haven’t. And I don’t think he will talk if I ask him about it.”

Luca looks down. “Have you…” he lifts his head to look at Luca. “Have you asked your father? About… this?”

Nat closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He opens his eyes, locking his gaze at Luca.

He nods. “Yes. I asked him.”

Luca lets out a small gasp. His voice is almost shaky when he asks again.

“And? Did he tell you?”

Nat slowly nods.

Luca looks even more nervous. His hands roll into a fist on, hanging on his side.

“So?”

For a while, Nat doesn’t answer. He just keeps his eyes on Luca. There is something that almost looks like a plea in his eyes. For a second, Luca looks so fragile. In his mind, Nat wonders, whether that was the same kind of look in Luca’s dad that had made his father can't say no, even when he should've had?

“Do you really want to know?” Nat finally breaks the awkward silence between them.

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked you to talk.”

Nat looks down again. Luca takes a seat next to him. He sighs.

“I do want to know, Nat. I have…” he pauses as he waves vaguely. “I have so many questions, and I want, I _need_ answers.”

“Then what?” Nat asks. “Knowing the past wouldn’t change things. It wouldn’t fix things that have been left in the past.”

Luca rubs his face with both hands.  “You’re right.”

He turns his head to look at Nat. “Knowing the past won’t fix it. But if we know about what went wrong in the past, at least we can try not to do the same mistake again in the future.”

Nat doesn’t reply. Luca doesn’t seem to want any answer anyway, as he stands up, and starts walking. Nat watches Luca’s back. He closes his eyes. His father’s voice resounds in his head.

_I don’t want you to do the same mistake like I did_

He fell asleep last night thinking whether falling in love is a mistake.

_But if we know about what went wrong in the past, at least we can try not to do the same mistake again in the future._

Nat opens his eyes. Luca is already a few meters away from him.

“Hey, Luca!”

Luca freezes where he stands. Nat stands up quickly, and walks towards Luca. Luca turns around.

Nat chews his lip. He flips his hair from covering his eyes, and tries to smile.

“There is a small coffee shop not so far from here. So if you…” Nat stops. Suddenly he doubts whether it is the right thing to do.

But in front of him, Luca smiles back at him.

“Wait for me after training?” Luca sounds careful when he asks.

“Okay. Sounds great,” Nat says.

The silence suddenly stretches between them, as they stare at each other awkwardly. Luca turns his neck to look away. Feeling strangely nervous, Nat looks down, fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“So…”

Nat lifts his head to look at Luca.

“I’ll see you after the training?”

He might have imagined it, but there is a faint blush on Luca’s cheeks.

“See you then,” Nat nods.

Luca grins. He runs his hand over his hair.

“I… I better get going then. Raul hates people who are late.” Luca says. Then before Nat has a chance to say anything, Luca already turns around and walks away.

For the second time this morning, Nat watches Luca’s back. After a few meters away, Luca looks over his shoulder. Nat gives him a smile as he waves a little at him. It’s too far for Nat to see more expression on Luca’s face besides a smile. Still, it’s oddly satisfying. To know that it is him the one whom Luca smiles at.

Nat shakes his head a little. Standing up from the bench, he makes his way to the door. As he is walking, the things that Luca said to him a while ago replay in his head.

And it makes Nat wonder, what kind of future that Luca has in mind.


	8. A Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat and Luca. A conversation that makes Luca realizes a thing or two about his dad, and himself.

 

“Are you going somewhere after this?”

Luca keeps on putting his stuff into his bag. Without looking back at Thiago, he answered. “Yeah.”

“Where to?”

“Somewhere…” Luca says, half-mumbling.

“Can I go with you?”

Luca slings his backpack on his shoulder. He turns around to face Thiago. “Not today, Thiago. Sorry.”

Luca can see the disgruntled look in Thiago’s eyes. But right now, he can’t make himself to care.

“So, see you tomorrow,” he says. Without waiting for Thiago to answer him, Luca already turns around and starts walking to the door.

“Luca!”

Luca stops. He lets out a sigh, and turns back.

“What?”

He feels a little bad for sounding harsh. But right now, he just wants to go out of the dressing room and see Nat.

Thiago takes a step forward.

“Are you going with the new boy?”

Luca’s brows furrow as he slightly frowns. “If who you mean by the new boy is Nat, yes, I am going with him. And stop calling him like that, Thiago. He has a name.”

Thiago frowns a little. “Why are you spending so much time with him lately?”

Luca rolls his eyes. “What’s wrong with that?”

Thiago takes another step closer. “But you spend more time with him than with me.”

“Thiago…”

“Do you like him?”

Luca’s brows shoot up as he gets taken aback with that question.

“What do you mean? Of course I like him! He’s our teammate, he’s a good guy, and he’s a brilliant player, if you haven’t noticed that already.”

“No, I mean, do you like him _more_ than you like _me_?”

Thiago sounds a bit angry. But had Luca not known Thiago for so long, he would have failed to notice the almost pleading look in Thiago’s eyes.

Luca shakes his head, half-desperate, half-confused. He wants to be a good friend for Thiago. But this is not exactly the right time to comfort Thiago.

“Thiago, listen. I don’t have time for this right now,” Luca says, running his fingers between his hair.

“But-”

“I’ll… I’ll call you later, okay?” Luca says. He feels a little guilty because he himself is not sure that he will call Thiago anyway. Still, it doesn’t stop Luca from turning around and walks away with wide steps. Behind him, Thiago watches his back going farther and farther.

 

*******

Nat is leaning against the wall, gazing at something far away. Luca stops, suddenly realizes that there is something funny fluttering in his stomach. He looks at Nat, a bit surprised to realize how Nat really looks like his father now that he remembers who Nat's father is.

Luca takes a deep breath. A small voice inside his head is questioning why he has to be nervous like this. He is only going to see Nat. To talk with him. It’s just Nat, right? He doesn’t have any reason to be nervous about it.

Still, he feels nervous. Because it’s not _just_ Nat. It’s _Nat_.

Luca starts walking again, this time slower. Nat seems to hear his footsteps, as he turns his head to look at Luca. Seeing Luca, Nat flashes a smile. A small, almost shy smile. Strangely, something is fluttering inside Luca's stomach. Without even realizing it, he smiles back at Nat.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Luca says as he stops two steps away from Nat.

Nat shakes his head a little. “You're fine. I haven’t been waiting for long anyway,” he says, brushing his hair from covering his eyes.

Luca clears his throat that suddenly feels dry.

"So, shall we?” he asks.

“Yeah, sure.”

Unconsciously, Luca’s hand starts to move towards Nat’s. Then suddenly Luca freezes when he realizes that he is actually reaching out for Nat’s hand. He quickly looks away as he hides his hand into his pocket.

“Well, come on. My car is over there…” he says, not trusting himself to look at Nat. But as he starts walking to his car, he steals a glance at Nat. There is a small amused smile on Nat’s lips. Feeling his cheeks warmer without any reason, Luca wonders whether it’s him that makes Nat’s lips curl up like that.

And oh, damn it. Nat looks so cute with that small smile playing on his lips.

 

*******

From his seat, Luca watches Nat who is sitting in front of him. A table with two cups of hot drinks on it separates them. Arms folded neatly on the table, Nat is looking down at his cup, a pensive expression on his face.

“So…” Nat is the one who breaks the silence. He lifts up his head and looks at Luca straight on the eyes. “What do you want to talk about? What do you want to know?”

Luca looks away for a second. Turning his neck to return Nat’s gaze, he runs a nervous hand over his hair.

“I don’t know,” he shrugs his shoulder. “Anything. Anything that you can tell me about. Anything that your father has told you.”

For a while, Nat says nothing. He just sits silently, but his eyes don’t fall from Luca’s. Luca can’t remember the last time he got nervous like this just because of the way someone is looking at him the way Nat is doing now.

“What my father has told me is simple enough," Nat finally talks. Luca lets out a breath, almost surprised to realize that he’s been kind of holding it.

“My father and yours? They used to be in love.”

The words come out his mouth in such a flat tone. There is no expression at all on Nat’s face as he is saying the words.

Luca stares into Nat’s eyes. He can’t spell out what is behind those caramel eyes that are staring back into his.

“Used to be?” Luca almost cringes at his own words. Then again, it’s something that he himself has been wondering.

This time, it's Nat who is looking away. Luca quietly watches as his chest moving up and down, as if Nat is silently trying to calm himself down.

“What do you think?” Nat asks, but still gazing at the glass window next to him.

“Well, I don’t think my dad left my mom for no reason.”

Nat takes a sharp breath as he quickly turns his head and glares at Luca.

Luca instantly regrets what he just said. And seeing a storm in the brown eyes in front of him, the regret is making his heart ache.

“My father never asked your dad to do it,” Nat says with a sharp, cold tone in his voice.

Chest heavy with guilt, Luca bows his head down.

“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” Luca says. His finger is trembling a little as he traces the rim of his coffee cup.

Silence again.

Some part of Luca wants to look up. Wants to see Nat. Wants to say something that can fix things. Wants to tell him that he never meant to say anything so cruel like what he just said. But the guilt keeps on weighing him down.

He can hear Nat sighs.

“It’s…okay,” Nat says. “I guess… If I were you… I could have said the same thing?” Nat adds, even though he doesn’t sound so sure. But it’s already enough to make Luca lift his head up, and flashes a weak apologetic smile.

After two or three seconds of another awkward silence, Luca asks Nat.

“Can I ask you something?”

Nat doesn’t answer, but he tilts his head a little. He nods, signaling Luca to continue.

“Your mother…” And then Luca stops. Leaving the unfinished question hanging in the air with uncertainty.

Nat chews his lower lip as he is looking down to the remaining coffee in his cup.

“I never met her. I know nothing about her.”

Luca’s brows raise a little. “Really?”

Nat nods. He lifts up his cup and takes a sip.

“I was born from a surrogate mother. I don’t know what the deal was between my father and  whoever she is,” Nat waves his hand vaguely, “But from the day I was born until now, I have no idea who my biological mother is.”

Nat’s voice was so calm as if it’s not some sort of a big deal at all.

“You…” Luca pauses, then continues carefully. “Your father never told you anything about it?”

Nat looks at Luca, and flashes a small, calm smile. He shakes his head.

“Nope. When I was a little kid, naturally, I asked questions. But as I grew older I don’t find it necessary anymore. My father and I, we have each other. And that's enough.”

Luca nods. Deep inside, he still wonders how Nat’s mother look like, and what traits that Nat gets from her. Because the Nat that he is seeing now in front of him, is like a mirror image of David Silva in his younger age.

“Can I ask you another question?”

Nat chuckles. “Luca, seriously, you don’t have to ask whether you can ask it for every single bloody question that you have in mind.”

Luca feels his cheeks warm up. He sees the way the corners of Nat’s eyes crinkle a little as he smiles, and suddenly there is that strange feeling swirling in his stomach. Luca clears his throat.

“Do you… do you think they still love each other?”

Nat’s smile vanishes. A serious expression is on his face when he asks Luca back. “Do you think your dad still loves my father?”

Luca shrugs his shoulder. “I don’t know. You know that he never talked about your father…anymore.”

“Not talking about someone does not necessarily mean not thinking about them.”

Luca ponders on Nat’s words for a while, then nods. “I guess you’re right,” he says. “Besides, after the divorce, dad hasn’t seeing anyone anymore.”

“I see.”

Luca holds his eyes at Nat. “What about your father?”

Nat looks away again from Luca. He gazes at something far away as he answers.

“I don’t know. When he talked to me about it, he kept on saying _back then_ , _used to_ , _was_ , _were_ …”. Nat stops to let a long sigh. “So I don’t know….”

“Is he seeing anyone? Your father?”

For a while, Nat doesn’t say anything. But he looks like contemplating on something. Luca waits patiently, quietly watches Nat’s eyes and expression, trying to understand them.

“Well…” Nat says, then pauses again, licking his lower lip. “There are… a few people… that my father is kind of…close to. Very close to. But still, I wouldn’t rush into a conclusion that they are in a serious romantic relationship. Especially when my father himself never said so.”

Luca mindlessly draws some abstract patterns on the mica surface of the table.

“Do you… want them to still be in love with each other? To be together like what they might have always wanted?”

“I just want my father to be happy. Whatever that means,” Nat says plainly.

“Same here. I just want my dad to be happy. To be really, truly happy.”

“Good. Glad to know that we both want the same thing, then…”

Luca stares at Nat, who has a smile on his lips. A smile that lights up his face along with his eyes. It only makes Luca realize again how Nat really looks like his father.

“You really look like your father, you know?” Luca says.

The smile on Nat’s lips gets wider and brighter before it turns out into a small laugh.

“Oh, believe me. You’re not the only one who says so.”

Nat doesn’t seem to mind at all with what Luca just said. In fact, there is that proud kind of look in Nat’s eyes, as if being told that he and his father are very much alike is something that he’s pleased about. And that smile. Those eyes. The way the smile lights up Nat’s face and how his eyes twinkle when he smiles, they make Luca says what’s in his mind without really thinking.

“But seriously. You look so much alike with your father, I guess I know why my dad fell in love with your father.”

Once the words slipped out of his lips, Luca gasps. He can’t believe that he just said that. And in front of him, Nat’s freckled face suddenly flushed with red color. Feeling how warm his cheeks are, Luca knows that his face might also be in the same shade as Nat’s.

Luca clears his throat.

“Do you have other things in common with your father? Aside from the look?” he asks, trying to pretend that the awkward situation before has never happened.

The smile comes back to Nat’s lips as he tilts his head a little to the left.

“Well, my father and I, we both do football. _Duh_.”

Luca can’t help but laugh. “Yeah. Stupid me. But no, I mean… Like... Do you guys like the same things? Have the same hobby?”

“We do. We really do have a lot of things in common too,” Nat nods as he answers. “How about you and your dad?”

“Pretty much the same. There are things that we don't agree on, but there are also other things that both of us like.”

“Oh. Let me guess. Is the tendency to use lots and lots of gel hair is one of the things that both of you like?”

Luca chuckles. “That is one thing. There are other things too. Our opinion on pineapple as a topping on pizza is also one of them.”

And so, the conversation starts flowing easily from there.

A conversation that makes Luca has to admit something else about himself and his dad.

He already knows that he and his dad share a lot of things in common about the things that they like. But he just finds out that there  is another thing that he and his dad share in common.

They have the same tendency. The tendency to fall for the same kind of people. The kind of people who has that easy, pleasant kind of laughter that lights up their freckled face. The kind of people with beautiful brown eyes where one can easily get lost in.


	9. “What Are You Thinking About?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you still love him?”  
> David startles a little at how bluntly James asked the question. He stays silent for a while, trying to understand his own feeling, his own emotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written from two POVs.

 

David stares at the letters on the screen. But once he realizes that he has been reading the same line of the e-mail for too many times, he decides that maybe today is just not a good day for business-related stuff. So he actually feels a bit relieved to hear a soft knock on the door. At the moment, he happily welcomes any kind of distraction.

“Come in!”

James pops his head in. When David returns his smile, he opens the door wider and steps in. The door closes with a soft clicking sound behind him.

“Hey,” he greets David, and sits at the corner of David desk. “How are you?”

David’s smile still lingers, but under James’ eyes who look straight into him, he sighs.

“I... I just…” he runs his finger between his hair. “I don’t know. I just can't concentrate on anything today.”

“Want to have a walk outside? Maybe the fresh air can clear your mind.”

David looks at James, who has a small knowing smile on his lips.

He smiles back as he stands up from his seat. “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.”

*******

 

It’s a nice afternoon. The sun is not too hot, and the wind softly touches their skin as they walk side by side on the beach. David is glad that James doesn’t talk much. He doesn’t really need any comforting words or something like that. Right now, just James' presence, even without words, is enough to make David feels a little better.

They stop and watches the sun that starts to slide down on the horizon.

“What’s been bothering you?” James finally asks. “Is it about the people in Valencia?”

David glances at James. The English man still holds his gaze at the horizon, a pensive, almost sentimental look on his face. David sighs. Brushing away his hair from his forehead, he nods.

“Yeah, kind of…”

“I see…” James nods.

“Nat called me last night,” David says. He starts retelling what Nat has told him last night. About the conversation between Nat and Luca.

“So, yeah…”

James nods again. “Sooner or later, they will find out anyway. Maybe this is just about time.”

David chews his lips. “I’m still wondering why Luca didn’t ask Villa about this.”

Next to him, James shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe he just doesn’t know how to.”

“I just… I’m just wondering, what would Villa tell Luca about…what happened back then between us.”

“Why do you want to know?” James asks again. This time he's looking at David, like he really wants to know David's answer.

David looks down, watching the sand. “Just curious,” he answers shortly.

James says nothing. But when David looks up, he’s still looking at David. There is something in his eyes that David can’t put his finger on. Something like a mix of doubt and curiosity. But David’s not sure. To be honest, there’s a lot of things about James that he’s not sure about. After all this time, James still has some mysteries that David can’t unravel yet.

David stares back at James. James flashes a smile, and turns his head again to look at the horizon.

“Do you still love him?”

David startles a little at how bluntly James asked the question. He stays silent for a while, trying to understand his own feeling, his own emotion.

“I don’t know,” he finally says, followed by a long sigh.

“I mean, I used to love him. But I don't know. If I meet him again as who I am right now and who he is right now, I’m not sure whether I will still fall for him. Maybe yes, maybe no,” David tries to explain.

“But he’s still important for you, isn’t he?” James asks without looking at David.

“He’s part of my past, after all,” David answers, and follows James to watch the sunset.

“But you still have your future.”

David’s lips curl up into a small smile, and he nudges James a little with his elbow.

“Aren’t we too old to talk about the future?”

James looks back at David. His greenish eyes smile along with his lips when he speaks.

“Age doesn’t matter. Everyone deserves a future.”

Somehow, James’s voice calms David. The way James talks and the look in his eyes are like a reassurance that everything will be alright.

David’s lips curl up a little higher. He watches the face in front of him carefully. There are more lines on James’ face now, and some strands of silver hair here and there. But that smile is still the same. Those greenish eyes are still calming. The memories of the time that they spent together when they were still teammates flash in David’s mind. David suddenly feels his cheeks are warmer, and there is a strange fluttering in his stomach. Feeling somehow embarrassed, David looks away from James, facing back the horizon. For a while, both of them say nothing. The sounds of the waves crashing on the sea shore, mixed with the sounds of the seagulls flying above them fill the silence.

James is the first one to breaks the silence. “What are you thinking about?”

“The future,” David answers. “I’m thinking about what kind of future that I have.”

James hums.

“What about you?” David turns his neck to look at his companion. “What are you thinking about?”

James doesn’t immediately answer him. He slides his hands into his pocket. David watches him sighs before he turns his head. That comforting smile is on his lips again when he answers David.

“Nothing,” James shrugs his shoulders. “Nothing important, really.”

David softly places his hand on James’ arm. “Hey, maybe it’s important for me.”

James lets out a small laugh. “Naaah… Not important for you either.”

 

*******

James bites his lower lip to hold back a smile when David turns his face away. He can still see the blush on David’s cheeks. There is a strange pull in his chest when he sees David’s feature from this angle. Even at this age, there are still some freckles spread on his face like ink spots splattered over a brown paper. James follows David, looking at the horizon. A peaceful silence stretches between them.

James steals a side glance at David. He wonders, whether David has ever realized that his eyes and his smile are among a few things that can make James’ heart stutters like this.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks David.

“The future,” David says. “I’m thinking about what kind of future that I have.”

There is a part of James that relieved to hear that answer. To hear that it’s not _that guy_ that David is thinking about now. Still, David’s answer makes him wonder, what kind of future that David has in mind. But for now, James only gives a hum as a response.

“What about you?” David asks him back. “What are you thinking about?”

For a second or two, James almost say it. The things that he has been thinking about for years now. For too many years. He slides his hands into his pockets. His right hand clutches the small box that he keeps in his pocket.

 _Not yet,_ he quietly tells himself _. Not now. Maybe later_. He repeats the words that he has been saying to himself since he has that small box a few years ago.

He turns his head again to David, trying his best to smile.

“Nothing,” he says.

_You. I am thinking about you._

“Nothing really important,” he shrugs his shoulder.

_Us. I am thinking will there ever be **us**. Not just you and me._

David places a hand on James’ arm. A small, light touch, but enough to give a warm rush in James’ vein.

“Hey, maybe it’s important for me.”

James looks at the small smile on David’s lips. The small smile that never fails to make his heart skip a beat or two.

_I wish. I wish it was important for you as how it means the whole world for me._

It’s like his heart is in his throat when he forces himself to laugh a little. It’s not difficult, though. He’s been used to do it for so long, it's almost like a reflex now.

“Naaah… Not important for you either.”

David holds his gaze at him. There is something in his eyes that is so close to a childish curiosity. And within this distance between them, James can clearly see the details of David’s face. The brown eyes under his lashes. The constellation of freckles on his face. The faint lines that start to present on his forehead. And his lips, parted a little as he’s still staring at James with that strange look.

For a second, James _almost_ loses his self-control. He is so close to let his emotion take over him. There is nothing that he wants to do in this world besides brushing his lips on David’s.

_No. Not now._

James blinks, and quickly turns his head away from David. He rubs the back of his neck, hoping that David won’t notice any change of colors on his face. He clears his throat.

“It’s getting late. Want to go back now?” he steels himself to look back at David.

David smiles when he nods.

“Yeah. I want some dinner anyway,” he says, and ends it with a small laugh.

They walk back to the hotel, side by side. James slides his right hand into his pocket.

The small box is still there.


	10. About A Game and Some Postcards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next game is against Espanyol. And Luca wants his father to watch the game. Luca really wants him to.

From where he’s standing to do the regular stretching, Luca steals glances to where Raul is talking to Nat. Seeing the serious expression on Raul’s face, Luca wonders what it is that they are talking about.

“Can you just stop it?”

“Huh? What? Say it again?” Luca turns his head to look at Thiago. A little surprised not just by the question, but also the sharp tone coming from him.

“ _Stop it_. Stop looking at that new boy.”

Luca raises his eyebrows as he stares at a frowning Thiago.

“Why?”

“Because I say so,” Thiago says curtly.

“And can you give me a reason why I have to do whatever you want me to do?” Luca asks again. He doesn’t bother concealing his disgruntled tone.

“Luca,” Thiago’s voice gets a little bit softer. There is something that looks fragile in his eyes. “I just-”

Whatever that Thiago is about to say is quickly neglected by Luca, as Raul claps his hand, and shouts to call him.

“Luca! Come here! I need to talk to you.”

Raul hasn’t even finished his sentence when Luca already jogs towards him. Nat is still standing next to Raul. Nat flashes a glance at Luca, then quickly bows his head down.

“Yes?” Luca is panting a bit when he stops in front of Raul. Not from the short run that he just did, but more because of the fact that Nat is still standing there, close to him. It makes Luca’s stomach does a strange backflip.

“So, Luca,” Raul has a small smile as he grasps Nat’s shoulder. “Nat is starting this Saturday.”

Luca’s eyebrows raise up as his eyes widened. “Really?” he says, full with excitement. “That is awesome!”

Luca starts thinking about how wonderful it will be to play alongside Nat. They have been so good together in the training sessions. And to _really_ play in a _real game_? Luca just can’t wait for it. 

Raul’s smile gets wider to see Luca’s excitement.

“Yeah, I know that you two will be awesome on the pitch,” he turns his head to look at Nat. “Right, Nat?”

Nat lifts up his head, and smiles a little. He nods, but says nothing.

“So. I can see that somehow you two really have a good connection, just like…” Raul stops there, and coughs a little. Luca doesn’t fail to notice how Nat’s shoulders get a little tense.

“Anyway,” Raul continues. “Just…make sure that the connection between you will also show up in the next game, okay?”

“Yes, Mister,” Nat nods.

“Yeah! Sure! We’ll do great, right, Nat?”

Nat stares at Luca. Luca tries to smile, but he feels like he’s grinning stupidly instead. Whatever. Because the next second, Nat’s lips tug up into a smile. And seeing how his eyes are smiling too, Luca forgets to breathe for a second.

“Now, off you go. Continue with your warm-ups,” Raul pushes Nat a little.

Luca slings his arm on Nat’s shoulder. He can feel how Nat gets stiffen a little, but Luca squeezes his shoulder.

Half dragging Nat to walk along with him, Luca leans to Nat’s ear.

“Nat, you and me, we’ll be _so good_ together. We’ll do what other people can’t do, rite?”

Nat turns his neck a little, facing Luca and stares at him. For the second time this morning, Luca forgets to breathe again. Then a smile spreads on Nat’s face, and it makes something buzzes in Luca’s chest.

“Yeah, I guess we will.”

Luca grins. “I _know_ we will, Nat,” he squeezes Nat’s shoulder again before letting it go. “Jog with me?”

Nat doesn’t answer him. But the smile still lingers on his lips as he starts jogging right next to Luca.

For the rest of the day, Luca goes through the whole training session that day with a wide grin on his face. He’s in such a great mood, he doesn’t even realize how Thiago glances at him every now and then, looking hurt.

 

*******

 

“Dad?”

Luca peeks from the door that connects the living room and the kitchen. Villa is sitting in front of his laptop, looking serious as he stares at the screen. Hearing Luca’s voice, Villa turns his head from the laptop, and flashes him a smile.

“Hey,” Villa pushes his reading glasses to his head, and waves at Luca a little. “How’s training?”

“Good,” Luca answers him as he walks to the dining table. “How was Sevilla?”

“It was okay,” his father looks back at the screen. “Didn’t have the time to go around. All the business stuff.”

Luca nods. His eyes catch a glossy card on the table, next to a pile of documents.

“But you had the time to buy another postcard,” Luca reaches out for the card and looks at the picture.

“Hey, put that back!” Villa quickly snatches back the postcard from Luca, and slips it under the pile of documents.

Luca shrugs his shoulder. “Have you ever sent any of all those postcards that you bought?”

It’s something about his father that Luca never understands. Every time his father goes out of town, he always buys one or two postcards.

His father doesn’t even look at him when he answers Luca’s question.

“Nope. I collect them,” he says, half-mumbling.

“Can I see it? Your collection?”

“Nope.”

Luca tilts his head a little to the left, watching his father who still has that nonchalant expression.

“Why?”

“Because it's my private collection.”

Luca sighs. He wonders why he even bothers to ask his father about it, since he always gets the same answer anyway.

“Dad, you’re not going anywhere this Saturday, right?”

Villa shakes his head. This time, he looks at Luca. “You have a game, right?”

“Uh huh,” Luca nods. “Against Espanyol.”

Villa snorts a little. “Espanyol? Go and smash them, okay son?”

“You’re coming right? To the game?”

Villa raises his eyebrows, a hint of confusion on his face. “Of course.”

“Promise?”

Villa laughs in amusement. “Luca, you’re talking as if I never watched your games before.”

“Dad, please? This time I really want you to come and watch us play.”

Villa watches his son, brows furrow a little. “Yeah, okay. I promise. But is there something special about this game?”

Luca feels his face gets warmer. He shakes his head.

“No. Not really.”

_It’s just the first game where Nat and I will be playing together_

“I just want you to see me playing, to see us playing.”

_I want you to see Nat. I want you to see the two of us playing together._

Villa says nothing for a while. He studies Luca’s face quietly, as if he doesn’t believe what Luca just said. Luca shifts uncomfortably on his chair. Villa takes a deep breath, and sighs. But much to Luca’s relief, his father is now smiling at him. The soft kind of smile that Villa has whenever he tries to calm Luca.

“Okay then. I promise I will come to see you play this Saturday.”

A wide smile spreads on Luca’s face. “Oh, thank you so much, Dad!”

“Make sure that you slay them, though. If this is a game where you really want me to watch, you better keep me entertained.”

Luca grins, almost smugly. “Oh, you bet I will, Dad. I promise you, we will slay them.”

 

*******

Realizing that he has been reading the same line over and over again, Villa closes the book that he’s reading. He rubs his eyes with one hand, and sighs. He puts the book on the nightstand, and rests his back against the headboard.

Villa glances at the alarm clock. It's almost an hour past midnight. And he's still can’t sleep yet. There are too many things in his mind. Too many flashes of memories. He chews his lower lip, and sighs again.

He knows it’s a stupid thing to do. A thing that he shouldn’t do. But still, he opens the lowest drawer of the nightstand, and pulls out a box from there.

Something heavy like steels starts filling out his chest when he opens the box. He stares at the box. At the pile of postcards, greeting cards, and letters there. The pile of things that he keeps on getting, things that he keeps on writing on, things that he never sends.

His hand trembles a little when he takes one of the postcards, the most recent one that he just got from his business trip to Sevilla. He flips it to read his own handwriting on the back.

_Hello, Silvita. I am in Sevilla now. How are you doing there?_

Villa puts it back, and takes a birthday card from the pile. He doesn’t realize there is a melancholic smile on his lips when he softly brushes the picture on the front of the card. He opens it, and reads the words written there.

_Happy birthday, Silva!_

_How does it feel to be 40?_

_Hope you have a great birthday, cari_ _ñ_ _o._

He continues doing it. Taking something randomly from the pile, and read what’s written there.

Then he takes a postcard with the picture of Mestalla stadium on it. For a while, he only stares at the picture. Suddenly, the air feels so heavy. His chest feels like full with sand and his hand trembles when he finally flips the postcard. It’s like his heart is in his throat when he reads the two lines of sentences there.

_I miss you._

_I miss us._

Villa closes his eyes. Breathing is so difficult when the air around him is heavy with all kind of emotions, when his mind involuntarily replays all the memories like a black and white movie.

When he finally falls asleep, the box is still laying next to his pillow.

He’s still holding the postcard in his hand.


	11. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat is in the starting line-up along with Luca.  
> Silva is going to watch the game from his place in Gran Canaria.  
> Villa is going to watch the game at the Mestalla Stadium.

David knocks the door that is half-opened.

“Come in!” James calls out from where he is sitting in front of the desk. As David opens the door wider, James turns around from the screen of his laptop and smiles at him.

“Hey, David. What’s up?”

David walks closer, but the web page that James is opening on his laptop catches his eyes.

“What are you doing?”

James raises his eyebrows in question. David gestures with his chin, and sits on the corner of the desk. James swivels back and closes his laptop.

“Booking my flight back to England.”

“Why?”

James shrugs. “Well, I’ve been here for long enough, I guess. You must have been getting sick of seeing me around,” James says, and ends his words by laughing a little.

Well, James probably right. Joe has gone back to England after being there for a week. But David, with help from Joe, managed to convince James to stay longer. David even asked James to stay in one of the guest rooms in his own house instead of in the hotel suite where Joe and James were.

David frowns a little. “You haven’t been here for too long. You’ve only been here for about-”

“Almost three weeks now,” James says before David finishes.

David sighs. “Well, yes. But I will never get sick of seeing you here.”

James smiles at him. That gentle smile with a pair of green eyes offer some comforts.

“You can always come and visit me in England, you know…”

“Why do you have to go back?”

James shrugs his shoulders again. “I think I miss England.”

“Oh, you just miss the golf course there.”

James laughs. But when his laughter subsides, he sees that David is still staring at him with a serious look. James tilts his head a little to the left.

“Don’t go yet, please?”

James doesn’t answer. He chews his lower lip, and looks away to the window. The sound of the sea crashing on the sand coming in from the opened window.

“Stay a little bit longer, please James?”

James looks back at David. “David, I think I-”

“I need you here,” David cuts him. James stops, and studies his face carefully.

“Nat just called. He is starting this Saturday.”

James eyebrows raise up. “Really? That’s awesome!”

David nods. There’s a small proud smile on his lips.

“Are you going to go there to watch the game?” James asks, this time sounds more careful.

David shakes his head. “No. But I will watch the game on TV.”

James nods knowingly.

“So,” David pauses as he brushes off his hair from covering his eyes. “Can you… I mean, if it’s okay with you...” David’s voice falters, as suddenly he feels that what he is going to ask from James is something so stupid. But maybe David doesn’t have to explain what he means. Because now James is smiling softly at him, as he puts his hand over David’s hand.

“Yeah. Sure. I can watch the game together with you.”

A smile quickly spreads on David’s face. He turns over his hand so he can hold James’, intertwining their fingers together.

“Thank you, James.”

“Sure.”

“So, are you going to cancel that flight now?” David gestures to the laptop.

James laughs. “I haven’t booked anything yet. I was just looking at the available flights.”

“Good,” David says, with a sincere smile. “Good.”

He slides down from the desk that he was sitting on. David carefully places his hand over James’ shoulder.

“Thank you, James. For everything.”

James lets out a small laugh. But David shakes his head. He stares at James with a serious look in his eyes.

“No, really. I mean it. Thank you for everything that you have done all this time. For being the one who understands me the most.”

David sounds so sincere and honest, it makes James’ heart stutters a little.

“Don’t worry about it. That’s what friends are for, right?”

David smiles. He leans down and kisses James’ cheek. He leaves his lips linger there for a beat too long before pulling away.

Without saying anything else, he walks away. James turns his neck a little, watching David’s back. David closes the door carefully behind him with a soft clicking sound.

James shakes his head a little. He looks away to the window. The thin curtain moves along the wind. James’ hand flies to his cheek, to the soft spot where David’s lips were there a moment ago.

There are times when James feels that the word _friend_ is the most bitter thing in the world.

 

*******

Villa curses under his breath as he finally finds a parking spot. He glances at his wrist, thanking the universe that he’s not as late as he thought he would. Slamming the door of his car, Villa hastily makes his way to the entrance of the stadium.

He waves at some people who greet him. One of the best things of being one of the former players of the club ( _one of the best, really, but of course Villa will never boast about it_ ), is Villa doesn’t have to deal with the frustration of getting a ticket for any match. Add the fact that his son is Valencia’s most talented striker to the equation ( _what do people expect? Luca is his son, of_ course _Luca will be as good as he was in his best days, duh_ ). It is very likely that a VIP seat will always be ready for Villa.

He nods and exchanges greetings with some other people as he makes his way to his seat. When finally he gets to sit, Villa sighs and fixes his jacket as he rests his back on the seat.

“Hey, Villa! Good to see you!”

Villa turns his head to look at Juan. Juan is smiling at him as he sits down next to Villa.

“Juan! It’s been a while! How are you?”

“I’m good,” Juan nods. “So, come here to watch Luca?”

“Of course, you know how I always watch his game.”

“He’s been very good. I will be very surprised if he doesn’t get called up for Spain’s next game.”

Villa grins widely. “I know. If he doesn’t get called up, I really need to talk with that new manager of  _La Selección_.”

Villa looks to the pitch again. The green grass looks bright under Valencian sun.

“The traffic was horrible. I am glad that I can make it here on time,” Villa says, shaking his head.

Juan chuckles. “Yeah. Luca must be disappointed had he came out from the tunnel and didn’t see you here.”

“Exactly. And I don’t know why, for this one game, he really insisted me to come and watch him. As if I always missed his game,” Villa shakes his head.

“Oh?”

There is something oddly weird in Juan’s voice that makes Villa turns to face him again. Juan looks a bit wary, but Villa might have just imagined it.

“Did he say why?” Juan asks.

Villa shakes his head. “No. He just said that this time he really wanted me to watch him.”

“Oh.”

A crease forms between Villa’s brows. “Do you know anything about it? Or maybe there is something about this game that you know but I don’t?”

Juan shakes his head a little too fast. He fidgets with his phone as he answers Villa. “No, I don’t.”

Villa shrugs his shoulder. Well, as long as Valencia wins, it’s okay with him. As long as Luca plays well, he’s fine.

The announcer starts speaking, reading the name of the players from the opponent. When the names of Valencian players are being read, a proud feeling swells in Villa as Luca’s name is mentioned as player bearing the number 7. He glances at the giant screen that showing the names. As usual, once he sees Luca’s name, his eyes just travel with reflex to whoever player wearing the number 21. Of course, he would never find the name he wanted to see there. Still, it just happens.

But this time, the name next to the number makes his heart skip a beat.

He blinks, absurdly thinks that his own eyes have played some tricks on his mind.

But that name is still there.

Nathanael Jiménez.

Nathanael _Jiménez_.

 _ **Jiménez**_.

No. It can’t be. Besides, it’s not like _Jiménez_ is an uncommon name here in Spain. But still, the combination of the number 21 and that name is just something too weirdly coincidental. For fuck’s sake, it’s not even the name whom _he_ is known for, not the name that was written on the back of _his_ shirt. But it’s just…

It’s still _his_ name.

“Villa?”

Villa blinks again, and turns his neck to Juan. Juan is staring at him with a strange expression.

“Huh?”

“Are you alright?”

Villa nods. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

He turns to look at the screen again. The names have disappeared. The screen is now showing some fancy animation of Valencia’s crest. The cheering and clapping sound that becomes even louder now makes Villa realize that the players are making their way to the pitch now.

He leans forward, and without any difficulties finds Luca’s figure walking out with the others. But that person walking in front of Luca, just a little shorter than him…

No. His mind is really playing a game with him.

Villa can’t stop himself to look at the giant screen. It is now showing the players as they are lining themselves, ready for the kick-off.

Villa gasps. That guy next to Luca. That face. That hair. That pair of eyes.

It can’t be…

The camera moves to other players on the line. When it reaches the end, the camera moves again, scanning the players and their expressions. As it comes to where Luca and the new guy are standing, the camera catches the moment where Luca is whispering something at the guy next to him. Whatever it was that Luca was saying, it makes both of them laugh.

Villa watches the screen with his lips half-parted. His brain fails him. He can’t think of anything but how that view reminds him of those memories. The memories that start flooding out his mind.

Villa’s mind is too preoccupied with things from the past, it takes a soft nudge from Juan to make him realize that the referee has blown the whistle.

Villa lets out the breath that he doesn’t realize he’s been holding. He rests his back on his seat, and rubs his face with both hands.

“You alright?”

Villa looks at Juan, who is looking at him with a concern in his greenish eyes.

“Yeah, yeah… I’m alright…” Villa says, even though he says that more to himself than to Juan.

He leans forward again. He tries to focus on the game. But his eyes can only focus on two figures. His mind can only feel a continuous déjà vu.

A little voice at the back of his mind tells him, that maybe, it’s just another way of the universe to mess up with his life.

 

*******

Nat is blowing some air into his hands that are covering his mouth when a hand pats his shoulder.

“Nervous?”

Nat smiles at Luca who is standing behind him on the line. Luca grins at him.

“A little,” Nat answers him.

“It’s okay. As long as it won’t hold you back from giving me your amazing passes.”

Nat’s smile gets a little wider. It’s sort of nice. To have that kind of encouragement. To know that someone in the team really believes in him.

“Okay, come on boys! Focus! Let’s do this!” Martin who is standing at the end of the line turns around and shouts at them with his captain-ly voice.

“Let’s do this. Like what our fathers did,” Luca whispers at him.

Nat gasps a little as he quickly turns his neck to face Luca. There is a smile on Luca’s face, but his eyes are full of determination. Nat’s lips curl up again a little.

“Like our fathers.” He whispers back, and flashes a smile at Luca before turning back.

One of the officials gives them the signal to walk out.

“Show time!” Luca whispers again as Nat straightens his back. Nat nods, and starts walking.

The thundering sound of clapping and cheering from the people in the stadium welcomes them.  Nat takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

Show time.


	12. The Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Nat finally meets that one person.

 

Raul looks around with a proud smile plastered on his face.

“So, as I said, this is a win that we should be proud of. But keep in mind, that it should not make us losing focus on the next game. We’re still second at the table now, with only two points behind Real Madrid. At this point, there’s no place for any stupid mistakes.”

He pauses and looks around at all the players once again, letting his words sink in.

“Once again, congratulation for us, and thank you very much for your hard work that you have shown. I am proud of you. Every single one of you.”

All of them claps their hand, applauding Raul for his after-match talk.

Indeed, it is a win that they can be proud of. Luca scored another hat-trick in his career, where Nat gave the assist for two of them. They had another goal from Martin and one from Lucas, and Thiago kept a clean sheet for them.

Luca slings his arm around Nat’s shoulder, who is pulling his bag out from his locker.

“I knew it, right? I’ve told you that we’re going to be _amazing_ , playing _together_!” he says, leaning his face closer to Nat’s ear. Nat holds back a smile, but he nods. He slings his bag on his shoulder and swiftly makes a 90-degree turn to face Luca.

“Yeah. And it was fun,” he says, brushing away his hair from his forehead.

Luca’s eyes are bright with so much childlike joy, it makes Nat unconsciously smile too just to see it. Luca clears his throat. Sliding his hands into his pocket; Luca tips his head a little to the left.

“So, how about a little celebration?” he says.

The smile still lingers on his lips, but there is a soft look in his eyes. Nat chews his lower lip and strangely feels something flutters inside his stomach.

“Hey, Luca!” Thiago’s voice coming from the other side of the room before Nat has the time to answer the question.

Luca closes his eyes and lets out a small groan in a low voice. “Yeah?” he says, turning his neck to look at Thiago. In front of him, Nat bows his head down. Something heavy uneasily filling in his chest.

"We’re heading to this new place in town. You know, the usual hangout _we_ do to celebrate?”

Nat doesn’t need to ask whether he is also invited. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Thiago shoots a glare at him.

Luca sighs. “I don’t know, Thiago… I just-”

“Oh, come on, Luca! We _always_ do this after a win!” Thiago’s voice becomes more insistent.

Nat pulls the hem of Luca’s shirt a little. Luca quickly turns his head again at Nat. Nat’s lips curved into a thin smile.

“Go with them.”

“Are you coming too?” Luca asks, with a hope in his eyes.

Nat chews his lower lip again, and shakes his head.

“Luca! We’re waiting for you!” Thiago shouts again. Next to him, Pedro, one of the defenders, grabs his shoulder.  He whispers something at Thiago, like trying to calm him down.

“But…” Luca’s sentence hangs unfinished. He stares at Nat, the smile that Luca had earlier completely gone. And there is that hint of disappointment that makes Nat feels like someone just kicks him right on the chest.

“You can call me later, yes?” Nat says. He hates to see that kind of look in Luca’s eyes.

Luca blinks. “Really?”

Nat nods, and curling up a smile. He pulls Luca’s shirt again gently. “Really,” he whispers, still with the small smile on his lips.

“Luca!”

Luca lets out an annoyed sigh, and turns his head again.

“Okay, okay! I go. You guys go ahead, text me the place and I’ll see you later, there, okay?”

“But Luca-”

Thiago’s protest is cut by Pedro, who puts his arm around Thiago shoulder, and waves at Luca.

“Sounds good, Luca! We’ll see you there, then!”

“Luca-”

Thiago is still trying to call Luca, but Pedro practically drags him out of the room. He still flashes a smile to where Luca and Nat are standing.

“Bye, Nat!” he says, giving Nat a friendly nod.

Nat smiles and waves a little at the defender. Both of them watch as Pedro drags Thiago out of the changing room with him.

“You can… you know, just go with them,” Nat says carefully.

Luca turns around so he is facing Nat again. “Naaah… Don’t worry about it. I can catch them later on.”

A flattered feeling, knowing that Luca chooses to spend a little more time with him, dangerously starts creeping in his vein. Nat tries to push that feeling away. Tries to not start guessing why Luca still wants to be with him instead of going with the others.

“So,” Luca gives him a gentle smile. “Want to go now?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Come on, then,” Luca casually slings his arm on Nat’s shoulder.

As they walk together, Luca’s arm rests comfortably on Nat’s shoulder, Nat’s heart beats a little bit faster.

 _It’s because of the euphoria from the game_ , Nat stubbornly tells himself.

Then Luca squeezes his shoulder a little, and Nat’s forgets to breathe for a second.

 

*******

 

“Where do you park your car?”

Nat gestures to the left. “It’s actually my uncle’s car,” Nat says.

Luca doesn’t seem to care about that trivial information. He smiles. “Great! My car is also over there!”

Nat tries not to grin, at least not too wide. He knows that it is actually ridiculous, that this kind of unimportant thing makes him want to smile. What is important about having their cars park near each other?

_Except that it makes it possible for them to walk together for a little bit longer._

Luca starts talking about a stupid attempt on diving that a player from Espanyol did earlier. Nat is laughing at it, as he brushes away his hair from covering his eyes. Then his eyes fall on someone, a few meters away from them. Someone who is standing next to Luca’s car. Leaning a little to the side of the car, his head is bowing down, like he is studying the dark grey gravel.

Nat inhales sharply. He freezes, cold feeling rushing on his feet, making him unable to walk.

“Nat?” Luca brows furrow down seeing Nat’s sudden stop. He turns his head to the direction where Nat is staring at, and his eyes widened to see the one waiting next to his car.

“Dad?”

Villa’s head jolts up. For a second or two, he looks too stunned to move. But then he straightens himself up, and takes a step closer to them.

It takes so much from him, but Nat tries his best to keep his eyes locked on Villa, who is staring at him.

“You…” Villa whispers, Nat is not even sure that it’s something that Villa really said. Nat tries to read Villa’s expression. But he can’t. There are just too many emotions mixed up in those eyes that are still staring at him.

“You…” Villa whispers again, just a little bit louder than before. But his voice is shaky as his lips are trembling. He takes another step towards them. His hand raises up, like he is trying to reach out for Nat. But in a second, Villa pulls his hand away.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” Luca asks, confused.

Villa looks like he just realized that his son is also there. Turning his face a little, he looks at Luca. The corners of his mouth curl up a little. That small smile looks awkward on his pale face, his eyes still look dazed.

“I watched your game,” Villa says. He pauses and then he looks at Nat again warily. “And your game too…” he adds with a lower voice.

Nat stretches his lips into a thin smile. Within the last few seconds, he managed to compose himself. He remembers the way his father talked about this man. The forced smile on his face, with that bitter look in his eyes. It’s enough to make Nat vows that he will not let this man in front of him hurt his father again. He tells himself that he won’t let this man thinks that he can easily fall into his charm.

“Thank you,” he nods.

Villa opens his lips again, like he wants to say something. But nothing comes out from his lips. He sighs, and closes his mouth.

Luca’s eyes dart from his father to Nat. Nobody says anything. But the silence feels so intense, making the air feels heavy.

After a while, Villa finally breaks the silence.

“Are… Are you…” The unfinished question hangs there.

The unfinished question hangs there.

Nat watches Villa carefully, head tilts a little to the left. Deep inside, he’s a bit surprised to see how those eyes look vulnerable. He closes his eyes, reminding himself again the pain that his father had to go through. He sighs, and opens his eyes.

“Yes,” he nods. “I am _his_ son,” Nat continues, eyes looking straight at Villa, half-challenging.

“I am _Silva’s_ son,” he adds. Saying his father’s name gives him the determination that makes his voice is much steadier.

“How is your father?” Villa asks, his eyes start to look glassy with emotion.

Nat nods again. “He is good. He is _happy_ now, living _his own_ life.”

Villa rubs his face with both hands slowly. Covering his face with his hand, he shakes his head. Nat watches how his chest moving, his shoulders go up and down as Villa tries to control his breathing. Nat doesn’t know what to feel, seeing Villa looking so fragile like that. _Should he be angry? Should he be disappointed? Should he pity him? Does Villa deserve it, though?_

Villa slides his hands a little, so he can see Nat. Nat says nothing, but still leveling his eyes with Villa.

Villa slowly slides down his hands from covering his face.

“Does… your… father…” he says with trembling voice, and stops there. “Does he… still… remember me?” Villa continues, more like whispering.

Nat bows his head down for a while. Something that he vaguely recognizes as anger suddenly makes it harder for him to breathe.

_How dare him? After all the pain that his father has gone through because of him, how dare he's still wanting his father to remember him?_

Nat lifts up his head, and straightens his back.

“ _That_ ,” he says coldly, “is a question that you should ask to _him_ , not me.”

He squints his eyes at Villa, then he shakes his head a little. “When you can be man enough to have the courage, go and ask him that question.”

Once his last word falls from his lips, Nat walks away. He makes his way to his uncle’s car, leaving the father and son behind him.

He doesn’t look back.


	13. About Guilt and Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Villa finally meets someone who reminds him of the past.

Villa is looking at the grey gravel where he is standing on. But the images that running on his mind are memories. Memories that are just too sweet to be forgotten, and at the same time, to bitter to be remembered. He already sat in his car for a couple of minutes before, but then he decided that he needed to see that boy again. The boy who looked just like the mirror image of someone that has been the cause of Villa’s happiness and miseries at the same time.

 _Nathanael_ , Villa thinks to himself. _That’s his name, isn’t it?_

But even when he's standing here, he still doesn’t know what he would say. He's still clueless on what he would do. He can’t even think clearly.

“Dad?”

Luca’s familiar voice makes Villa’s head instantly turn to where the voice came from. Luca is a few steps away from him, staring at him with confusion. And _Nathanael_ is there too, standing right next to Luca. He is staring at Villa, with an expression that Villa cannot read.

Villa feels like he is dreaming. Like all his hopes and fears that he has been hiding suddenly solidified into someone in front of him. Someone who has exactly the same eyes, with the same look in those deep deep eyes.

Villa takes a step forward with wobbled knees.

“You…” Villa whispers, can’t believe what he is seeing now. Hundreds of questions are running in his mind. _Is it real? Is it just a dream? Why he’s just standing there? Why he’s just staring at him? Why he’s not saying, not doing anything?_

Villa swallows, but he feels like he starts choking.

“You…” he whispers again, feeling so stupid because he can’t say anything else that is more sensible than that. But what else that he can say when all these feelings are screaming inside of him?

Villa tries to take another step forward. Without thinking about it, Villa lifts up his hand, reaching out for Nat. Because the need to touch him, to make sure that this is something for real, it’s just so bad, it aches. But in a second, something strikes his mind. Is he still worthy enough, to have even just a single simple touch?

Something nauseating sinks in his stomach as he pulls back his hand to his side.

“Dad? What are you doing here?”

Villa blinks. Suddenly realizes that Luca is also there, he turns his head to look at Luca. He tries to smile, even though he can feel that his lips are trembling.

“I watched your game,” Villa says.

 _The game where you two played along so well together. Just like_ us _. The game where you two were magically bound to create amazing things on the pitch. Like what_ we _used to do._

“And your game too,” Villa adds, as he looks back to Nathanael.

 _Your game where you played just like_ him _, doing magic, with your feet gracefully danced with the ball._

There is a small smile on Nat’s lips, a very faint one, it’s barely there. What clearly is there, is the bitter look in his eyes.

“Thank you,” Nat says, nodding his head a little.

Even that toneless voice reminds Villa of a hollow voice that once told Villa that there’s nothing else left for them.

The questions that he has spinning around inside Villa’s head as he opens his mouth, trying to voice them. But there are too many questions and there are no words that can deliver those questions. Villa closes his mouth again. He can do nothing but just stares at Nat.

The silence is so suffocating, Villa almost wants to scream. But instead, he can only whisper.

“Are… Are you…”

Villa stops. His mind goes blank.

In front of him, Nat still has his eyes on Villa. His head tilting a little, like he is waiting for Villa to finish his question. Then he closes his eyes. With his heart banging in his ribcage, Villa watches as Nat sighs, and opens his eyes.

“Yes,” he nods. “I am _his_ son.”

A brick falls to the bottom of his stomach when Villa hears him saying it. But _of course_. Of course Nat is _his_ son. What other reason can be a more sensible explanation on how Nat looks like a mirror image of _him_?

“I am _Silva’s_ son,” Nat continues.

 _Silva_.

Even just hearing someone mention his name makes Villa feel like all the air is being punched away from his lungs. A swarm of emotions that he can barely recognize hits Villa.

“How is your father?” Villa asks. He can feel his eyes warm with tears that start to form.

Nat’s face is still cold as stone as he nods at Villa.

“He is good. He is happy now, living his own life.”

Villa is happy to hear it. He really is. All that he ever wants for Silva is happiness. Because Silva deserves nothing but happiness. But the way Nat said it, it’s like a reminder for Villa that yes, Silva is happy, but no, Villa is not a part of that happiness.

Villa covers his face with both hands, feeling like he is about to break down. He shakes his head a little, desperately trying to clear his mind. He tries to breathe but the air feels so heavy and his lungs are suffocated with guilt.

_He is happy now. He is happy now._

_Is he happy because he forgets me already? Is he happy because he has found someone else?_

_Does he miss me like I miss him? Does he ever wonder, what if we had taken a different path than what we did, like what I do every single night? What crossed his mind when he thinks about me?_

_Does he even still think about me?_

Villa slides his hands a little, and braces himself to look at Nat. Nat is still standing there, with that cold look in his eyes. And it still hits Villa to see how Nat looks so much like Silva.

Villa slowly slides his hands down. It takes everything left inside of him, to have the courage of asking Nat another question.

“Does… your… father…” he starts with a shaky voice. He stops, his throat feels so dry like a sand paper. His voice is only a little above a whisper when he continues. “Does… he still… remember me?”

Nat doesn’t answer him straight away. He bows his head down. Villa watches him with his blood racing in his vein. He is wishing for an answer, but at the same time, he's too scared to hear the answer.

When Nat finally straights his back up, his eyes are sharp like a silver sword. His words sound icy as he answers Villa.

“ _That_ , is a question that you should ask to _him_ , not me.”

Villa can’t breathe as Nat looks at him, eyes squinting a little as if he is disgusted with him. Nat shakes his head a little. “When you can be man enough to have the courage, go and ask him that question.”

Villa’s shoulders slump down as he drops his head. He can hear Nat walks away, passing him. Leaving him and Luca.

It takes a while for Villa before he finally can lift his head up again. His feet are cold. And Villa feels that even though he starts breathing again, he’s already dead inside.

Villa stares blankly to the rows and rows of cars, feeling numb.

“Dad?”

Luca’s voice pulls him back to reality. Villa blinks. He slowly turns his head to look at his son. He stretches his lips to smile at him. A sad, hollow smile.

“Luca,” Villa say, half-whispering. “I’m sorry, son.”

With two wide steps, Luca comes closer to Villa, and wraps his arms around him. Villa’s brows shoot up as Luca presses his head against his shoulder. To be honest, Villa has prepared himself to have an angry Luca. Luca who demands answers and explanations. Not Luca who just gives him a hug like this.

Villa can feel Luca shakes his head against his shoulder.

“No, Dad,” Luca says, half-mumbles. “Don’t say that to me.”

“But-”

Luca pulls himself back, but his hands are still holding Villa’s shoulders.

“You don’t have to say sorry to me.”

“But Luca, I’ve made a stupid mistake, and I’ve been hiding it from you for so long,” Villa pauses, his throat feels dry. “Don’t you hate me?”

There is a small understanding smile on Luca’s lips.

“No. People make mistakes. And I know you’ve been suffering enough because of your mistake,” he stops, and shrugs his shoulders a little. “So, why should I make you suffer even more by hating you? And you're my _father_ , Dad. I love you. I could never hate you.”

Villa’s chest that was full with steel suddenly feels a little lighter. Suddenly breathing becomes a little bit easier.

“Luca-” he says.

But Luca already hugs him again. “It’s okay, Dad. It’s going to be okay.”

Villa curls up a sentimental smile. It’s almost like a déjà vu. It reminds him of something that happened years ago, but each of them was in different position. It was _him_ hugging Luca, who was crying over his first loss with the team. It was _him_ who was telling Luca that it’s going to be okay.

Villa closes his eyes. He nods a little. “I hope so, Luca. I really hope so.”

Luca pulls away, and slides his hands into the pocket of his jacket.

“Come on, Dad. Let’s go home,” he gestures a little with his head. “I’ll drive you. Where’s your car?”

Villa’s brows knitted down as he frowns a little. “What about your car?”

Luca shrugs his shoulders. “I can leave it here.”

Villa raises a brow. “Are you sure?”

Luca laughs lightly. “Yeah. Do you really think I will leave you alone?”

A small light of hope warms Villa’s heart as he tugs his lips into a smile. A hope that whatever will happen, he and his son, they will still have each other.

Villa shakes his head. “No, I don’t think you will.”

 

*******

Luca stays quiet as he drives. And Villa is glad that he does. Villa’s mind is too busy right now. What just happened and the things that Nat said, they keep on replaying in Villa’s head. And they are mixed up with flashes and pieces of memories from a long time ago. The guilt is still hanging heavily in his chest. No longer overwhelming, but still aching. There is a part of him, that he has been hiding for so long in the dark. But now that part has been unlocked, stubbornly telling him that maybe, maybe this is all _a sign_. Maybe this is a sign that he has been given a chance to fix things.

Yes, it’s been so long. But it doesn’t mean that he no longer has the time to fix it, right?

“Dad?”

Villa’s head jolts a little. Realizing that they have arrived, he rubs his face with both hands.

“Oh, yeah. Okay. Thanks, Luca.”

“Sure,” Luca nods his head. “I’ll park it in the garage.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Villa walks out of the car. He walks, almost robotically, into their house. He goes straight to the kitchen. Taking a glass from the cabinet, he fills it with some water and drinks it until the glass is half empty. Villa puts the glass on the dining table as he sits on the chair.

He runs his finger slowly on the rim of the glass while staring at his own reflection on it.

When he hears the door that leads to the garage is opened, he lifts up his head. He waits until Luca walks in, and closes the door behind him.

“Luca?”

Luca turns his neck to look at his dad. “Yeah?”

“Come here, will you?”

For a second, there is something that looks like hesitation on Luca’s face. But the next second it’s already gone. Luca nods. He walks to the dining table, and sits on the chair across of him.

Villa takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. He drinks the remaining water and put the now empty glass back on the table. Luca says nothing, but he keeps his eyes on Villa.

Villa sighs, then looks at him. Folding his arms on the table, he flashes a small sad smile to Luca.

“I guess, I owe you an explanation.”


	14. The Three People in Your Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, somewhere else...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Please don't kill me.  
> 2\. This is a long chapter. Sorry about that

“Hey.”

James’ soft voice makes David turn his head from the TV to look at him. With a small smile on his lips, James takes a seat at the corner of the couch. David smiles back at him through the small space between them.

“Ready?” James asks him.

David lets out a small nervous laugh.

“It’s not important whether I am ready or not. It’s him that needs to be ready for the game, yes?”

James nods, the smile still lingers on his lips. 

“He’ll be great, David. You know it. We both know it. When he was still playing for the EDS I often watched his games.”

David stares at James with a thankful look in his eyes.

“I know. Thank you for that. With him in Manchester and me being here, sometimes I feel bad that I couldn’t watch his games. But at least, he got you.”

“Well, you know that he’s like my own son.”

David chuckles a little. “It’s like he has two fathers. Which is nice.”

“Oh?”

David raises his eyebrows. He thought there is a strange look in James’ eyes. But it’s gone as fast as it came, David thinks he might have imagined it.

James turns his head away from David to look at the TV.

“They’re coming out,” James says, gesturing with his chin.

His heart suddenly beating faster, David stares at the TV screen where the players are coming out, Martin leading the Valencian players. He finds Nat in an instant. He grins a little to see how Nat looks like a hobbit between the other players.

 _Just like me way back then_ , David thinks to himself.

For a football player, Nat is not very tall. Especially compares to the one walking right behind him.

Suddenly his heart jumps in his chest when he recognizes the one who is walking behind Nat. He squints his eyes a little, trying to make sure.

_Oh._

It _is_ him. David is almost surprised that he can still recognize him. Even though the last time he saw him, was when he was just a toddler, barely 4 years old.

David doesn’t know or even care whether he is still breathing or not. His eyes are glued on the screen, showing the players standing in a row before the game starts. David can even recognize traces of Villa’s feature on Luca.

He freezes when the camera captures the moment where Luca is leaning down a little to whisper something at Nat. Nat laughs, his face lights up.

David closes his eyes for a while, feeling the sting of flashback. He slowly opens his eyes, as the players already start taking their position on the pitch.

“You’re okay?”

David turns his head at James. He is looking at David, as if he is studying David’s expression. David stretches his lips into a thin smile. But he can’t even say anything. He just nods to answer James, and stares back at the TV screen.

He sits still on the couch. Can’t seem to take his eyes away off the TV.

On the screen, Martin is keeping the ball in place under his feet.

As soon as the whistle is blown, he kicks it.

And so it starts.

 

*******

Of course, it’s not something comparable than being on the pitch himself. But just watching Nat there, a proud feeling swells inside David. Adrenaline rushes faster in his vein every time Nat has the ball, keeps it as if the ball and his boots are connected by magnet, and passes it to the others. He groans and closes his eyes, shaking his head whenever Nat loses the ball or misses the pass. And every time Nat manages to go to the 18-yard box, David leans forward a little, holding his breath.

It was at the 18th minute of the game when one of the Valencian defenders successfully tackles one of the Espanyol players. Asier manages to get the ball, and brings it for a few meters before passing it to Nat. Nat, being fast and small, magically slips in between three Espanyol players. He’s so close to the penalty area, where a tall defender looks ready to stop him. But without losing any pace or rhythm, Nat passes the ball to the left, where Luca is there without anyone marking him.

It takes just a sharp, strong kick from Luca to deliver the ball into the back of the net.

“GOAL!” David screams as he jumps off the couch. Tears dangerously start to form at the corner of his eyes as the players are running towards Luca and give him a crushing hug. Without thinking, David closes the gap between him and James as he throws himself at James, putting his arms around James as he buries his face on James’ shoulder.

“He plays well, doesn’t he?” David says, half-mumbling against James' shirt. Lifting his head, he sees James staring at the TV, beaming a proud smile.

“Yeah, he does,” James says, as he turns his neck a little to meet David’s eyes. “Nat plays so, very, very well…” he says, his eyes smile along with his lip as he ruffles David’s hair.

A huge grin is splitting his face as David shifts back to the middle of the couch where he was sitting before. He looks back at the screen that is showing how the game has started again.

He shakes his head again a little, then rubs his face from his chin to the top of his head. But he can’t brush the smile off his face.

“I am so proud of him, doing an excellent job in his debut,” James says. “You must be very proud of your son, huh?” James asks as he turns his face at David.

“You have no idea,” David shakes his head again. “I can’t… I can’t even find the words…”

He has his focus back on the screen again. Watching how Nat is dancing with the ball, doing magic with his feet.

 

*******

The second time Nat gives an assist, that becomes the third goal for Valencia, is at minute 48th of the game. This time David manages to hold himself from jumping off his seat, even though he can’t contain his joyful screech.

But suddenly his voice disappears as he sees how Luca runs from where he was, straight towards Nat, ignoring Martin who’s trying to reach out for him. He can see how Luca’s lips are curling into a wide smile as he catches Nat who is jumping at him. He can see how Luca holds Nat when he spins around, while their teammates surround them, creating a mess of group hug.

He watches silently as Luca puts Nat down, ruffles his hair and kisses his temple.

And he watches as Nat lifts his head up, meeting Luca’s eyes.

He can see the bliss in the way Luca looks at Nat. He can recognize the adoring look in Nat’s eyes.

And it sends a shiver down his spine.

A soft touch at the side of his hand makes David turns his head to his left. James has his eyes on the TV, like he’s watching the game intently.

But his thumb is now rubbing David’s hand soothingly.

David looks back to the TV, but shifts his hand so James hand can cover it more properly. David can feel James lacing their fingers together then gives a gentle, comforting squeeze. David shuts his eyes close for a second or two, something warm seeping into his chest slowly. He squeezes James’ hand back a little, then let James’ thumb rubs his knuckle gently. James' skin feels warm against his, and his soothing touch calms David.

He keeps on holding James’ hand throughout the rest of the game. 

 

*******

As the referee blows the final whistle, David hesitantly pulls his hand away from James.

He glances at James, right when James is turning his head to look at him.

“That was a good game. They really deserve the win,” James says, lips curling into a smile.

David nods. “They play really well.”

James lets out a small laugh. “And well, Nat played really well.”

With a shy smile on his lips, David stares back at James. “He did quite well for a debut, right?”

James' eyes are still smiling as he ruffles David’s hair. “Nat is awesome, David. And should it be a surprise since he is _your_ son?”

Strangely feels that his face is getting warmer without any reason, David looks back at the TV. The screen is now showing the studio where three commentators are talking rapidly, giving their insights about the game.

“Nat’s assists were really good,” James says.

“Yeah,” David smiles slightly. “And Luca did a perfect finish for those assists.”

There is a numb ache in his chest once the last word leaves his tongue. David looks at the screen blankly. But in his mind, there is another screen, showing pieces of memories that he thought he had been able to forget, to move on from.

“What are you thinking about?”

David slowly turns his head to look at James.

“A lot of things,” he answers vaguely, as he himself feels like he starts drowning in the sea of emotion.

“Is it about the game?”

David stares at James for a while without answering, then looks away.

“It’s more than just the game, isn’t it?”

There isn’t any slightest trace of accusation in James’ words. It’s more like James is voicing out what David is not able to speak by himself.

David sighs then covers his face with both hands. He stays silent as he tries to breathe normally to clear his mind. Next to him, James sits quietly, giving the time David needs to collect himself together.

“It’s like,” David takes away his hands from covering his face. “Like… some sort of déjà vu, you know? Like you are traveling back to the past? But at the same time, you know that it’s the present, but you feel like…” David moves his hand around vaguely, trying to put what he’s feeling into words. “Like… you are watching how the present is repeating the past.”

He turns his head and stares at James with a desperate look. It’s frustrating and confusing, feeling so many things at the same time but can’t find a single word that can translate any of those feelings.

But James nods with a knowing look in his eyes. It’s like those eyes are encouraging David to continue, no matter how he feels like he’s not making any sense at all.

“And it… It makes me think…” David pauses, and pulls his hair a little. “I… I thought I am alright now. I thought I have moved on, leaving all those things and feelings behind.”

He sighs exasperatedly. “But if I do have moved on, then why just watching Luca already makes me feel like…” David moves his hand in circle absentmindedly. “Like the world is spinning backward, like suddenly I am trapped in this…”

He stops and sighs again. “I don’t know. I don’t even know.”

He tries to take a deep breath. But the air feels so thick and his chest is too heavy.

A few more second passes in silence.

“Do you miss him?”

David glances at James, and then looks away to the window. Outside, the sun starts making his way down to the horizon. David feels like Villa’s shadow is shimmering in the afternoon sunlight that sneaking in through the window.

He closes his eyes. But his heart can still see it. Villa’s smile. Villa’s dark deep eyes, looking at him in a way that makes David breathless. The memories of how Villa touched him, his finger tracing abstract patterns against David’s skin hits him, giving him goosebumps.

It’s aching. But the ache makes David realize the truth.

He turns his neck to look at James again.

“Yeah. I guess I miss him.”

James bites his lower lip. There is a smile, so vague and barely there, David’s not even sure that it is a smile on James’ lips as he gives a single nod.

“So, you miss him,” James says.

David looks away, as that truth is too bitter. But he nods.

With all the things running in his mind, David can’t say anything. And James says nothing either. He just lets the silence there, hanging heavily in the air, filling the space between them.

After a while, David takes a deep breath, and lets it out in a long sigh.

“Do you think it means I still love him?” David asks as he turns to look at James.

James doesn’t answer him instantly. He tilts his head a little, but his eyes are fixed on David. There is a strange look in his eyes as he stares at David. Like he is trying to say something to David but doesn’t know how to. When he finally talks, there is a thin smile on James’ lips.

“The only one who can answer that question is you, David. Maybe you can’t answer it now. But it’s only you who can answer it.”

David looks down and bites his lips. A steel fist is clenching his heart.

“Do you think..” David’s voice is a trembling whisper as he lifts his head up again, meeting James ‘ eyes. “Do you think…he still loves me?”

David feels like a total idiot to ask that question. He doesn’t even know what is the answer that he wants to hear.

Instead of answering, James stays silent. He says nothing, but his eyes are locked at David’s. And it’s there again. That look in James’ eyes. The look that sometimes David sees in James every now and then, but he still can’t put his finger on to. The look that David can always recognize, but can never understand the meaning of.

A few second of silence passes before James vaguely stretches his lips into a thin smile. A smile that looks a bit foreign to be on James’ face.

“I don’t think I can answer that, David. But I wish, I really wish that yes, he still loves you. I wish that he is the one that loves you the most.”

Even James answer doesn’t make his chest any lighter. David stares back at James without saying anything for a while. He looks away, letting out a sigh.

“You know what,“ James says. “They say there are three people that would be the most important people in your life. Sometimes these three people are the same person, sometimes they’re not.”

“Oh?” David’s curiosity makes him turn his neck back to look at James.

“So, the first person, is the one that _you love the most_ ,” James says. “And as I said, it’s only you who knows who this person is.”

David doesn’t say anything. He just nods, signaling James to go on.

“The second person, is the one who _loves you the most_ ,” James continues. “Sometimes you know who they are, sometimes you don’t,” James shrugs his shoulders a little, smiling slightly.

“Oh,” David chews his lower lip as he ponders on James’ words. “Who is the third person, then?”

“The third person, is the one whom you will spend the rest of your life with,” James says, still with his calm voice.

David’s brows shoot up, and then he snorts. “Oh well, I don’t think I need that third person, then.”

James tilts his head a little. He raises an eyebrow questioningly.

“Really?”

David shrugs his shoulder. “Well, I have Nat. I have you. And that’s enough.”

In front of him, James gives him that strange look again, but then he looks away.

“Yeah, you have Nat. You will always have him,” James says, glancing at David before looking back at the TV screen again that is now showing some commercials.

“And I have you, right?”

It takes a second too long for James to answer it. And when he speaks, he still has his eyes on the screen.

“What if I can’t stay forever?”

David’s brows furrow down as he frowns a little. He’d always had James to turn to all this time. James is the one who’s always there. Until now.

“Why can’t you?”

David can see James’ shoulders move as he takes a breath and lets it out. James flicks between a few channels before putting the remote back to the coffee table.

He turns his head again to look at David. The corners of his lips are curled up into a small smile. But strangely, David doesn’t see that smile in his eyes.

“Who knows, David… Maybe one day, you’ll find that third person whom you will spend your life with. And when that time comes, I don't think you'll need me to be next to you anymore.”

David opens mouth, but his brain fails to find anything to say. In front of him, that strange smile still lingers on James' lips.

“Anyway,” James says. “I really wish that all those three people, all of them are the same person for you.”

James leans and kisses David’s temple. For a split second, David strangely feels breathless as James' lips brush his skin. But James already pulls away before David really realizes how warm James lips’ are.

He stands up, and ruffles David’s hair. “I’ll be in my room if you still need to talk, okay?”

“Okay,” David says, still feeling like he is surrounded by this mist of confusion.

James gives him another smile, and turns around. David watches his back as James walks to the doorway that leads to the hallway. As James reaches the doorway frame, David calls him.

“James?”

James freezes. It takes a second before he turns his upper part to look at David.

“Yes?”

As their eyes meet, David realizes that he has nothing to say. That he doesn’t even know why he calls James, other than wanting to see James is there, still around, still close enough to him so that David can still reach out for him. And why he wants James to be around, is just one of hundred other questions that David doesn’t know the answer to.

So David just smiles, looking straight into James’ eyes.

“Thank you, James.”

James’ smile somehow is like a candle that lights up the room when a storm is outside.

He nods at David. “Anytime, David.”

David watches until James disappears from his sight.

As he gazes at the window, he still wonders why James can’t just stay with him forever.


	15. The Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation. An explanation. And some phone calls.

 

It’ s a bit relieving for Villa, that he doesn’t see a sign of anger on Luca’s face, if there is any. In front of him, his son looks hesitant, but also curious at the same time. Luca looks back at Villa. There is an awkward smile on his face, more like he is half-cringing.

“Well, yeah… Some explanation would be… nice,” Luca says, rubbing the back of his neck. “But really, you don’t have to do it now, Dad,” he adds quickly.

Villa smiles slightly. “Well, I guess the sooner you know about what actually happened, the better it is, right?”

Luca licks his lips, looking at his father with some hesitation in his eyes.

“Also,” Villa pauses to let out a sigh. “I think I’d feel better if I can just… you know, let this all out.”

This time, there is a gentle smile on Luca’s face. He nods. “Well, if it can make you feel better, Dad.”

Villa rubs his face with both hands. He snorts, suddenly he realizes that he doesn’t know how to start. Now that he wants to unravel it, it feels like the secret is a spider web where he’s been tangled in it, with so many broken pieces of memories.

He looks back at Nat. “Where should I start?”

Nat tilts his head to the left. “Well, maybe you can start by answering my question?”

Villa nods. “Yeah. Maybe I can do it that way.” He tugs his lips a little. “So, what do you want to know first?”

Luca stays silent for a while. He chews his lips as he looks down, like he’s not sure about what he’s going to ask. Even when he lifts his head up again to look at Villa, the hesitation is still in his eyes.

“Did you love him? Tio David?”

Villa smiles, even though there is a silver sword that is cold as ice stabbing in his chest.

“I loved him. I still do. And maybe, God knows, I will always love him.”

“What about Mom? Did you love her, then?”

The smile still lingers on his lips, but it’s getting more and more difficult for Villa to breathe.

“I did. I did love your mother. And I still love her too. But…” Villa stops and stares at the table. He sighs before he continues. “It’s… a different kind of love,” he says, as he looks up again at Luca.

“Your mother, she is the most amazing woman. And I love her, as she is the one that I can share my life with. It’s like… she is the perfect partner, the perfect companion for me to go through life, for better or worse.”

There is a vague smile on Luca’s lips as he nods.

“But with Silva…” Villa’s voice falters, and he looks away, gazing at the window. His mind starts painting a picture of Silva and his eyes and his smile. Silva’s soft voice as he slowly ran his finger against Villa’s skin resounds in his head. Villa closes his eyes, as the sharp edges of the memories carve another cut in his heart. He opens his eyes, but it takes another few seconds before he turns his head to look back at Luca.

“With Silva… Silva is the one that I would die for.”

Luca stares back at Villa. There is a soft look in his eyes, but Villa is too scared to hope that his own son would ever understand it.

“If you would die for him, then why wouldn’t you live with him?”

“I would,” Villa says. “I would, if only he let me to.”

This time Luca’s brow furrow down. Confusion is on his face as he asks another question. “But, why?”

“Because it’s already too late? Because the damage that has been done was already unrepairable?”

Even Villa himself still asking that question that Luca just asked. And all the answers that Silva gave him that he is retelling now to Luca are still too bitter for him.

Luca’s eyes still hold the confusion in it. But he asks another question.

“When did it start? You and Tío David?”

Villa chews his lower lip. He shakes his head lightly. “I don’t really know when. The first time I saw him, he just came back from a loan in Celta Vigo,” Villa unconsciously smiling as the memory of young Silva crosses his mind. “He was… so young… so naïve and at the same time…so eager to learn and play.”

Villa sighs. “Even until now, I don’t really understand what made me…gravitate towards him. It’s just…happened.” Villa looks at Luca, almost desperate. “He’s just… I don’t know. At first I thought it was just me trying to be protective because he was so young. But there were also other young players and… Silva’s just…different…”

Villa props both of his elbows on the table. He leans his chin on his hands, where his fingers are intertwining each other. Thousand days have passed. But his mind can still clearly replay the memoir. Stealing glances. Awkward smiles when their eyes accidentally meet each other. Electrifying incidental touches, that soon followed by lingering touches that made him crave for more and more and more. Silva’s breathtaking smiles.

“I tried. I tried to hold myself. God knows how hard I’ve tried, Luca. But then I kept on making excuses, making up reasons.”

Villa stares blankly at the wooden surface. “And then, there’s EURO. In 2008.”

Villa used to lie to himself and told himself that it was because he was drunk and lonely. But no. He was sober enough to feel and remember the feel of Silva’s skin against his touch. To hear the broken sigh and gasps, mixed with swallowed moans. Even until now, he can still feel and hear them.

He meant it to be the only one time. They both silently agreed, that what happened that night would be the first time and also the only time, the last time they both lost control. But then after the first came the second. And once they did it for the second time, the third time just seemed unavoidable and inevitable. And suddenly, it just kept on happening.

The thing was, _the thing was,_ Villa can never lie that it just felt so natural. That it’s just something that would happen, because it’s _destined_ to be. He remembers those nights. The nights when he had his arm around Silva,  Silva’s head resting on his chest while Villa ran his fingers between the soft strands of his hair. He remembers how in all of those nights, he wished that he could just freeze the moment. The moment where there were only him and Silva and they didn’t have to care about anything else, about anyone else.

After a while of silence, Villa lets out a sigh. He looks back at Luca, with a humorless on his face.

“Before the World Cup, we both already knew that neither of us would be staying. We thought that it would make it stop. But then we made it as a reason, for us to become even more inseparable during the World Cup. ”

In front of him, Luca says nothing, He sits still where he is, listening. Villa tries to read his expression, still trying to find any trace of anger in Luca’s face.

“So,” Villa nods a little. “As you might have guessed, our path became separated.”

“Did it stop, then? After he went to Manchester?”

Biting his lower lip, Villa shakes his head. “No. It became even…more complicated.”

“Oh?”

“Because since we’re no longer physically together, I could no longer deny it, that it’s not just lust.  That there were feelings involved there,” Villa pauses, and look away from Luca. He gazes at the window again. His voice is barely a whisper when he continues.

“I could longer deny, that I loved him.”

“And you still do, don’t you?”

Turning his head back so he can meet Luca’s eyes, Villa’s lips are trembling. He nods. “I do. I still do.”

Even with all the consequences, all that have happened, Villa doesn’t regret it. He doesn’t regret to fall in love with Siva, and still loving him. He never regrets it. What he regrets, is the fact that it took too long for him to realize it, that it’s already too late for him to do something about it.

“But I was such a coward, Luca. I already knew that I loved him, but I never told him that. Every now and then, I would just show up on his door, staying for a night or two. Sometimes I would even be selfish enough to ask him to come over.”

“And it just kept on happening?”

Villa nods again. Now he is fixing his eyes at the table, his finger absently draws small circles on the surface. “Yes. And you know why? Because he never said no. I know, damn it, Luca, we both know that he should have said no. But he never said it. He never said anything. He never asked for anything. It’s like…he just…took it all. Like he knew that he could do nothing about it.”

“Maybe because he loves you too.”

Villa lifts his head up, surprised to hear Luca saying it. Luca is looking at him, doesn’t look angry at all. He even almost looks sad, with a sympathy in his eyes.

“I don’t know, Luca. I don’t know.”  Villa shakes his head. “Just like I was such a coward to tell him that I love him, I was too scared to ask him what was it that he felt for me.”

“It must be hard for both of you…”

Villa chews his lip. “I guess so. I know that I deserved it. But not him. He didn’t deserve to be treated like he was just an option. An option that I would never choose anyway. Yet, I kept on treating him like that.”

Villa throws his head back and stares at the ceiling. “I didn’t tell him that I love him. But I need to let it out, somehow.” He shakes his head before he looks at Luca. “And that, is how your mother found out about it.”

Luca frowns a little as he stares at Villa with confusion. “What do you mean?”

Villa rubs his head with one hand, and then stands up. “Wait here. I want to show you something.”

Without waiting for Luca to say anything, Villa makes his way to his bedroom. Inside his bedroom, he opens the last drawer of his nightstand. He takes out a tin box from it, and brings it back to the kitchen. Luca is still sitting there, waiting for him.

Villa puts the box on the table in front of Luca, and goes back to the chair that he was sitting on before.

“Open it,” Villa says, cocking his head a little. Luca raises his eyebrows, but does what his father said. He opens the box, and puts the lid away. His brows furrow down again as he studies what are inside the box. He takes one of the postcard from the box, and reads Villa’s handwriting there.

_It’s a beautiful city, but it means nothing without you, Silvita. I really wish you were here, cariño._

“Dad?” Luca looks up from the postcard to his father.

Villa gives him a small sad smile as he nods. “At first, I wrote letters. Letters that I never sent to him. And then I started buying postcards, birthday cards, greeting cards. I wrote on them but never send them.”

“Why?”

Villa shrugs his shoulder. “I’ve told you. Because I was such a coward,” he says. “Besides, would it change anything had I sent it anyway?”

Luca looks back at the postcard, before putting it back into the box.

“So one day, your Mom, she found the box,” Villa says.

"Did she?” Luca asks, his tone is now a bit wary than before.

“Yes, she did,” Villa answered. “And… well… Strangely, your mother…” Villa shakes his head. “She didn’t seem as angry as I expected. She was even…so calm when she asked me about it.”

Luca’s brows shoot up. “Really?”

Villa smiles slightly, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “I guess, your mother already has a feeling that there’s something about me and him. Maybe that’s what they call a woman’s intuition.” Villa shrugs his shoulder. “So I guess, finding the book has just become, the only proof that she ever needed.”

“And that’s why she asked for a divorce?”

The smile still lingers on Villa’s lips. “I’ve told you, your mother is an amazing woman. She told me that she understood that…it’s just love. And we can’t choose whom we will be in love with. Like she said, a heart wants what a heart wants, even though the mind says no.”

“But, if she really understands… then why would…” Luca’s voice falters there.

Villa folds his arms and rests them on the table. “She is amazing, but still, she has heart and feelings too, Luca. For her, it’s all or nothing. She knew that even if we have stayed together, she would never have all of me. She knew that there’s already a piece of me that can never be replaced by her, nor by anyone else.”

Luca nods. But then some creases form between his brows. “I still don’t understand, Dad. But then… Why you and Tío David not…”

Villa sighs. “He pointed out one thing. That if I have ever wanted to be with him, I could have done something about it way before the divorce happened. And he told me that he has been trying to stay silent all this time, because he didn’t want to ruin our family. And he said…he didn’t want to be with me, for the price of being the reason of a broken family.”

Villa rubs his face with both hands. “The last thing that he said to me, is just... He’d rather not see me again, and just left everything buried as a forgotten past.”

Luca’s brows still furrow as he shakes his head. There is a frown on his face. “And that’s it? You’ve lost Mom, and for that, you had nothing from him.” He scoffs. “Doesn’t sound fair to me.”

“Well,” Villa says. “First of all, I still have your Mom. It’s a divorce, but it was a mutual decision, and we’re still in good terms. And we still love each other,” Villa shrugs his shoulders. “Just… a different one than the way I love Silva.”

Villa sighs, and the sad smile is back on his face. “And also, do you think the way I treated him for so long, was it also fair for him?”

Luca opens his mouth, like he’s about to say something. But nothing comes out of his lips. He closes his mouth again and shakes his head weakly. “I guess you’re right, Dad. It’s not fair for him either.”

“So…here I am now,” Villa turned his head at Luca. “I can do nothing but wishing that… things could have gone differently. I can do nothing but wondering how he is right now, wondering whether he still thinks about me…” Villa only gives him another sad look, with a thin smile on his lips.

For a while, both of them say nothing.

“You know what, Dad?” Luca breaks the silence. “I guess Nat is right.”

“Huh?” Villa stares at him, confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean?”

Luca has his eyes fixed on Villa’s as he talks. “If you want to know how he is doing, if you want to know whether he’s still thinking about you…It’s something that you have to ask to him. By yourself.”

Villa’s lips parted as he stares back at Luca. Out of words, he cannot find anything to say.

Luca smiles and reaches out to put his hand over Villa’s. “You still have some unfinished things with him, Dad. And you need to fix it now.” Luca squeezes his hand a little. “You know what to do, Dad. You’ve had always known what to do. And it’s about time you do it now.”

Luca stands up and leans down to kiss his father’s cheek. He gives his father one last smile before he turns around, and walks out of the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Villa freezes in his chair, staring blankly at the wall.

*******

Luca sits on his bed in the silence of his room. His legs are stretched straight on the bed with his back against the headboard. He swipes the screen of his phone, and glances at the small digital number on it. Luca lets out a long sigh, as he presses his back against the headboard. He’s been sitting on his bed for more than an hour since the conversation with his father.

He has been replaying what his father told him, trying to match it with the pieces of memories that he can still remember. And it all make sense now for him.

Luca glances at the phone again. The screen is dark. Shaking his head, he swipes his finger on the screen, and type a message. The ninth message that he has been sending for the last hour, without getting any reply.

_Nat, can I just please talk to you?_

About fifteen minutes after he sent it, Luca shakes his head again. He knows that Nat is not going to reply anyway. So he slides his finger on Nat’s number to make a call, and brings the phone to his ear. Just like the other five calls that he has made before, he only ends up reaching Nat’s voicemail.

Luca closes his eyes. With a long sigh he opens his eyes, and starts talking to leave another voice mail.

“Nat, I know that you are angry. And you totally have the right to. But can we just talk about this? Just leave this hanging unfinished, without giving a chance to see it from other view, it’s not the best way to fix things, Nat. So please, just… can we just talk?”

Luca ends the call.

 _That’s it_ , he thoughts to himself. That would be the last time for him to try calling Nat. If Nat is not calling him back, or at least replying his text messages, Luca would just give up trying.

Two hours have passed from midnight when Luca finally falls asleep. The screen of his phone stays dark.


	16. Fixing Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villa is trying to fix some things. And so is Luca.

It’s still too early to wake up for a Sunday morning. Especially on the day after a game, where Luca has a day-off from training. But today, Luca wakes up much earlier than what he usually does when he has no training. It only takes 5 minutes laying on the bed before he thinks about a plan, and decides to do it. Jumping off from his bed, Luca rushes to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, he’s already running down the stairs, hands still buttoning the navy blue shirt that he’s wearing.

“Hey, Dad?” he calls out for his father. “Dad, you’re awake yet?”

He makes his way to the kitchen, where his father usually spends his morning.

“Dad, can I borrow your car?” Luca asks as he enters the kitchen with wide steps. “I need to-“

He stops to see the empty kitchen. Unlike the usual mornings, he doesn’t find his father sitting by the table, enjoying his morning coffee. Luca furrows his eyebrows. His father _was_ in the kitchen. He knows that from the cup of coffee on the table. But where is he now?

Luca walks closer to the table. There isn’t much left coffee remains in the cup, but it’s the small post-it note next to the cup that catches Luca’s attention. He grabs the small yellow paper, and reads his father’s scribbling there.

_Luca,_

_I’m going out of town. I know that it may look like such a sudden decision. But as what you said last night, I have some things that I need to fix now_.

Luca smiles reading the note. He doesn’t know yet what will happen next, but he feels that his father has taken the best decision. And he’s glad that his father is doing it now.

“Good luck, Dad,” Luca whispers as he puts down the note back to the table.

Luca walks to the door that leads to the garage, and opens it. He sighs in relief when he sees that his father’s car is still in the garage. He fishes his phone from his pocket, and slides his finger on one of the names in his contact list. Pressing the phone to his ear, Luca walks to the living room.

He is grabbing the car keys from the key hanger in the living room when his call is picked up.

“Hello?” a sleepy voice answers his call.

“Asier? Hey, I know it’s early, but I really need your help this time. Like, really need it now,” Luca says as he makes his way back to the garage.

“Huh? Luca? What is it?”

Luca enters the car as he asks what he wants from Asier. It takes a few minutes before Asier finally awake enough to give Luca what he wants. But ten minutes later, Luca already drives away from his house.

***

 

Luca presses the doorbell. He rubs the tip of his sneakers nervously on the door mat. He just realizes that there is a chance that his plan will not work out. And even worse, he has no backup plan yet.

Luca’s head jolts up as the door swings opened.

“Yes? Can I help you?”

Judging from his looks, this guy in front of him; still holding the door knob; he must be Nat’s uncle.

Luca tries to smile. But his voice still sounds nervous when he speaks.

“Uhm. Hi. Good morning. Is… Is Nat here? Nathanael?”

For a while, Nat’s uncle says nothing. He just keeps staring at Luca, as if he’s making his judgment on Luca.

“Are you Villa’s son?”

Luca clears his throat. “Uhm. Yes. Yeah. I’m… Luca. And yeah, Villa is my dad.”

Nat’s uncle nods. But he’s still not moving.

“So,” Luca clears his throat again. “Can I… Can I see Nat?”

Nat’s uncle straightens his lips into a thin line, like he is thinking about what he should do with Luca. Then he sighs. There is a small vague smile on his face as he steps aside and opens the door wider.

“David and Nat probably won’t agree with what I am doing now, but I guess you should see Nat. And talk to him.”

Luca lets out the breath that he’s kind of holding. He smiles as he walks in.

“Well, that’s why I’m here. To talk with him,” Luca says, relieved that at least someone is kind of on his side. Hopefully.

Nat’s uncle nods and closes the door. “I’m Nat’s uncle. But you can just call me Nando.”

Nando gestures a little with his chin to the stairs. “Nat’s room is upstairs. I’ll take you there.”

“Thank you,” Luca says, as he follows Nando walking to the stair. They stop in front of the second door from the stair. Nando knocks the door.

Luca can hear a muffled sound from behind the door.

“Yeah?”

Nando flashes a smile at Luca before opens the door a little.

“Nat?” Nando says. Next to him, still hidden behind the door, Luca waiting nervously. “Somebody’s here to see you.”

Nando opens the door wider, and Luca steps to the door frame. Nat is sitting cross-legged on his bed.

“Hey,” Luca says, trying to smile despite the crazy beating of his heart.

Nat stares at him for a while, then he looks away. Luca takes a deep breath, and takes two steps in to the room despite the unfriendly welcome.

“I’ll leave the two of you to talk, okay?” Nando says. He pats Luca’s shoulder and flashes him another smile before he closes the door.

Once the door is closed, Nat lets out a long sigh.

“What do you want?” Nat asks, but keeps his gaze at the window next to his bed.

Luca walks closer to the bed, and stops next to the swivel chair in front of a desk. Nat’s laptop is laying there along with some papers, stacked neatly next to a jar that holds some pens.

“I want to talk to you,” Luca says. He pulls the chair a little, and sits on it.  He folds his arms and rest them on the headrest of the chair.

“And since you don’t reply my text, nor return my calls, I guess this is the only way to do it,” Luca continues. “Asier gave me your address,” he adds.

Nat says nothing. He sighs again and looks down at his fingers, intertwining on his lap.

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” Nat says. His voice sounds quite determined, but the way he avoids Luca’s eyes betrays it.

“Well, I do think so,” Luca says, moving his chair a little bit closer to the bed. “Nat, it happened in the past.”

Nat lifts his head up and looks at Luca. “It did. But look what the past had done to my father,” he says. This time the sharp tone in his voice is obvious.

“Is your father living an unhappy live now, though?”

Nat opens his lips, but after a second or two, he sighs. He closes his mouth again and shakes his head. He looks down to his lap again.

“He is happy now. But my father had to go through lots of pain…” Nat says quietly.

“And you think my dad didn’t feel the pain too?”

Nat looks up at Luca, brows furrowing down. He stays silent, but the question is in his eyes.

Luca sighs. “Nat, believe me. My dad, he also suffered. He also went through a lot of pain.”

Nat looks away, but Luca continues talking. “And when you met him yesterday? Would you say that he’s been happy with what happened in the past?”

Nat pulls his knees to his chest, and wraps his arms around them. Resting his chin on the knees, Nat stares at the wall in front of him.

“Nat,” Luca steels himself to move the chair even closer, it’s only now a few inches away from the bed. “Your father, you can see that he has moved on. He’s happy now. Doesn’t it mean that he no longer holds any grudge?”

“Do you think it will be that easy for me to forgive your father?”

“My dad truly regrets it Nat. He really does,” Luca sighs. “I don’t know whether I should tell you this, but my dad is trying to fix things now.”

Nat instantly turns his head to look at Luca. “What do you mean?”

“My dad, he is trying to fix things now.”

“What do you mean he’s fixing things? How would he do it?”

Luca shrugs his shoulder. “What do you think he would do to fix things between him and your father?”

Nat stares at Luca in disbelief. For a few seconds, he just stares at Luca, lips half-parted. Then he shakes his head. “No. Don’t tell me that he’s-“

“He is,” Luca nods, cutting Nat’s sentence before he finishes.

Nat stares at Luca again, then rubs his face with both hands. When he looks back at Luca, his eyes still show some doubt. And that look in Nat’s eyes, suddenly it makes a strange nervousness hits Luca. He stands up from the chair, and starts walking back and forth.

“I am sure that he’s actually already knows what he should have done since a long time ago,” Luca says.

“Then why he waits for so long before he’s finally doing it?”

Luca stops, and stares at Nat.  “I guess… The fear of rejected by from your father is the reason.”

Luca sighs and walks to the bed. He’s now sitting on the bed, a couple of inches away from where Nat is sitting.

“I really hope that your father will forgive my dad…” he says quietly. He bites his lower lip, and gazes at the window. Nat keeps quiet. Like Luca, he gazes at the window.

After a few second passes in silence, Luca sighs.

“Do you think your father will forgive my dad?”

Nat licks his lower lip, thinking. He shrugs his shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe. I really don’t know.”

“Let’s assume, that your father forgives my dad. Do you think they will get… you know… together again?”

Nat brushes his hair off from covering his eyes. “I don’t know how to feel about that, really. And obviously it will be awfully awkward. But if it is something that can make my father happier, then I think I am fine with that.” He turns his head to look at Luca. “Don’t you think so?”

Luca doesn’t instantly answer Nat. He doesn’t even look back at Nat. Still gazing at the window, Luca bites his lower lip.  This is something that has been bothering him. To be honest, the thought has crossed his mind not long after he knows who Nat’s father is. He has tried to push the thought away. But as time goes by, the more time he spends with Nat, the more he talks with him and sees Nat smiles and laughs, that thought stubbornly keeps on coming back.

“Luca?”

Luca tilts his head to the left, but keeps his gaze at Nat’s eyes. Nat is looking at him with curiosity in his eyes.

“What is it, Luca?”

Luca tries to pull the corners of his lips into smile. But even a simple smile is difficult for him when his mind is racing with some thoughts, when his chest is filled with something that he vaguely recognizes as guilt.

“Nat, if, and I mean… _If_ , our fathers, get together again, will it make you happy?”

Nat smiles slightly, even though his eyes look dim. “I’ve told you, if it’s something that my father wants and makes him happy, then I’ll be happy for him.”

“But,” Luca pauses, but locks his eyes at Nat’s. When he continues, his voice trembles a little. “But then…what about us, Nat?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I know that it may sound like I get a little too much with this fic, but I actually want to make some sort of playlist of songs to go along as a companion to this fic. I already listed some songs, but I will be more than happy if you have any suggestion :)


	17. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Nat and Luca decided to be friends.

Nat still has his eyes on Luca’s, but the curiosity that he has before now is mixed with other feelings that he can’t recognize. He doesn’t know what Luca’s question means. Or maybe he does. He just tries to ignore it all this time. Suddenly the beating of his heart races faster.

“What do you mean, what about _us_ , Luca?” Nat asks.

Luca closes his eyes, and lets out a long sigh. He shakes his head and opens his eyes again. But he’s looking away from Nat.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know why I ask you such a stupid question…” he says, gazing at the window.

Nat watches Luca, biting his lips. It hurts him to see how Luca’s face that’s usually bright with a smile now looks so gloom. But Nat himself, he doesn’t know what he’s feeling right now. He’s not sure what it is that he wants. He’s clueless on what he’s supposed to do.

Nat sighs. “Don’t make it even harder, Luca…” he says, more like whispering.

Luca turns his head at Nat, his brows slightly furrow down. “Harder? What do you mean harder? Is it also hard for you?”

Nat shakes his head. “Never mind. Forget it,” he says. He looks down again, resting his chin on his folded knees.

“No. You can’t say something like that and then tell me to forget it,” Luca sounds strangely insistent this time.

“Luca, it was nothing, okay? Just… just forget it.” Nat shakes his head.

“But,” Luca leans forward a little and grabs Nat’s arm. “What if it’s nothing for you, but it means a lot to me?”

“Luca, please,” Nat’s voice gets a little bit higher. He pulls away his arm from Nat’s hand. “Can you just…” Nat stops there, and shakes his head almost desperately. He looks away from Luca.

“But why is it hard for you?” Luca doesn’t seem to give up yet.

Maybe it’s the insisting tone in Luca’s voice. Or maybe it’s something else. Whatever it is, Nat reaches the point where all of this are getting too overwhelming for him. He turns his head to look at Luca.

“Because you saying that only makes me even more confused, okay??” Nat snaps. He glares at Luca, panting a little with emotion. In front of him, Luca looks stunned. Nat doesn’t wait for Luca to say anything. He looks down again, trying to let his heart beats go back to normal again.

“Nat…” Luca’s voice is soft.

 

 

Nat shakes his head. “You know what my father told me before I came here to Valencia? He warns me not to get too close to you. I didn’t know what he meant at that time but I said yes anyway,” Nat says without looking at Luca. Luca doesn’t say anything, like he’s giving the chance for Nat to keeps on talking.

“And then I finally met you. At first it was easy to do what my father told me. But then it becomes…” Nat pauses and shakes his head again. He can’t put what it is in his mind into words. He sighs. “There were times when I hoped that my father has never asked me to do such thing.”

Because it’s getting more and more difficult for him, not to steal glances to where Luca is. It takes more and more from him to hold himself from gravitating towards Luca. It’s so hard to deny how a simple smile from Luca suddenly makes his heart beat faster, and makes his day a little brighter.

“Why?”

Nat turns his head to look at Luca. Luca’s brown eyes are full with questions. And somehow it makes everything feels ten times worse for Nat.

“I don’t know, okay? I don’t know!” Nat’s voice raises as it’s getting more and more frustrating for him. “And then I finally knew what it was between our fathers. And it makes me feel guilty whenever I am with you or even just think about you. But you keep looking at me like… like _that_ , and it only makes me think about you even more!”

Nat stops. His chest raises up and down rapidly along with his shallow breathing.  Luca still seems too dazed. Nat himself, now that he starts exploding, he just can’t stop himself from pouring the things that he has been bottling up all this time.

“Then I met your father and it made me angry because it reminded me of how my father has been so heartbroken because of your father. And I feel like I should also mad at you because you are _his son_. I feel like I am betraying my own father if I keep on thinking about you like what I have been doing. I feel like I should stay away from you but I don’t know why it hurts me and it makes me feel even more guilty because I-“

“Nat,” Luca grabs both of Nat’s shoulder.

But Nat is not that easy to stop once he already starts. “And now you! You… you just come here and say something about us. _Us_! Don’t you realize that it just makes me even-“

“Nat, please…” Luca’s grip on Nat’s shoulder become tighter. Nat stops. Half because he’s running out of breath. Half because the way Luca is looking at him, with such intensity, it just makes Nat’s mind go blank.

Suddenly, Nat can only hear his own breathing, and his heartbeats, drumming in his ears. He can only see Luca’s brown eyes, and he cannot look away.

He cannot look away, even though he now sees how Luca is leaning forward, closer to him, _too close_ but Nat wants it to be even _closer_.

“We shouldn’t…” Nat whispers. But he can’t move. The only thing that he can manage is only shaking his head a little.

There is a grey cloud again in Luca’s eyes. A grey cloud that Nat hates to see in Luca’s eyes. Because Nat is already used to see how those eyes are smiling along with his lips, lighten up his face.

“No, we shouldn’t,” Luca whispers, but he keeps on leaning forward. He stops just when his lips are only half an inch away from Nat’s. “But Nat, please…”

Luca’s warm breath ghosts over his skin, and Nat can smell the faint scent of peppermint from Luca, mixed with something that smells like the wind breeze of the sea.

“Luca…” Nat whispers. But Luca is already too close, Nat can’t think. He feels like his head is swimming somewhere. He doesn’t even realize how his hand flies to the side of Luca’s shoulder when he closes his eyes.

The next thing that he knows, is the warmth of Luca’s lips against his. And for a second, it makes Nat forget to breathe. He can feel Luca’s lips move slowly, brushing his lips a little awkwardly, like Luca himself is not sure about what he is doing.

Then Nat feels Luca is pulling back, his lips moving away from Nat’s. Without thinking Nat leans forward, chasing Luca’s lips, catching them with his own. Because no, he’s not ready yet to lose this feeling, the strange warm feeling that rushes through his vein, making his whole body tingles.

Luca’s grip on Nat’s shoulder gets a little tighter, as Luca presses his lips slightly firmer against Nat’s. Nat feels the tip of Luca’s tongue starts brushing his lips, and he can’t stop himself from sighing. Nat feels a little lightheaded, his mind lost somewhere.

Nat is about to tighten his grip on Luca’s shoulder when the chirping sound of Nat’s cellphone jolts them back to reality. They both pull away, looking away from each other.

Still panting, Nat glances at the screen of his phone. Asier just sent him a text.

“I’m sorry…” Luca whispers with a shaky voice. Nat bites his lower lip as he closes his eyes. His whole body is trembling. His mind is too hazy to think.

He shakes his head again. He looks down as he whispers. “I think you better go now, Luca.”

The mattress slightly moves as Luca stands up. Nat stays silent as the sound of Luca’s footsteps echoing in the room. He’s looking blankly at the geometrical pattern of his sheet as he hears the door swings opened. When the door closes back with a soft clicking sound, Nat lets out a sigh.

Nat reaches out for his phone, and slides his finger on the screen to read Asier’s message.

_Hey Nat! Luca asks me your address. Is everything okay with you two?_

Just because he hates the idea of making Asier worried about him, Nat types a reply for his message.

_Yeah. Everything’s fine. See you in training tomorrow._

After sending the message, Nat stretches his legs on the bed. Resting his back against the headboard, Nat massages his temple with his thumb. He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a long sigh.

After half an hour, Nat is still sitting in the same position. When he hears his phone goes off, signaling an incoming message, he glances at the screen. Once Nat sees the sender of the message, his heart skips a beat. Grabbing his phone, he quickly slides his finger on the screen to open and read the message.

_Can we at least, still be friends?_

Nat stares at the message, wondering why there is a steel fist in his chest, clenching his heart into the kind of pain he never knows before.

Nat puts the phone back to the bed. He shifts a little to the side, and reaches out for the frame that he places on the nightstand next to his bed.

Nat smiles slightly as he softly runs his finger on the glass surface of the frame. In the picture, he’s smiling widely, holding the UCL Youth League Cup that he won with Manchester City EDS last year. Next to him, his father smiling proudly with his arm around Nat’s shoulder.

If there is something in this life that Nat loves more than football, it’s his father. He will do everything, anything, just to make his father happy.

He puts back the frame to the nightstand, and takes his phone.

There is a sting inside of him as he types the reply, and reads it again. But he sends it anyway.

*******

 

Luca is still sitting in the car, that is still parked across Nat’s house. He lifts up his hand, and slowly runs his finger over his lips. He feels like he can still feel the taste of Nat’s lips there, and it makes him shiver.

The sound of incoming message from his phone breaks the silence in the car. Luca’s hand is a little shaky when he picks his phone from the seat next to him.

Something stabs coldly in his heart as he reads Nat’s reply to his message.

_Let us be just friends, then_

Luca takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. He throws his phone to the passenger seat, and drives away.


	18. It’s Now or Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He should have done it since a long time ago. It's now or never.  
> He has been waiting for too long. It's now or never.

The earliest flight that Villa can get to take him to Las Palmas takes off at 9.20 in the morning, with a layover in Madrid for 2 hours.  Not having enough sleep the night before, Villa spent the short flight from Valencia to Madrid sleeping. But in Madrid-Barajas Airport, after half a cup of coffee, Villa finally gets conscious enough to realize that he doesn’t exactly have a plan. Yes, he knows what he wants to do. He knows that he wants to see Silva and talk to him. He’s kind of halfway there on the seeing part. And thanks to Juan, he now has the address that he has to go once he arrives in his destination. But the talking part? Well, that’s not as simple as that.

First of all, Villa doesn’t know what to say. Or maybe, doesn’t know how to say it, to be more exact. There are so many things that he wants to say, that he wishes he had said. But Villa can’t find a single word that can really describe all those things.

He absently looks at the small luggage that he brings with him. He doesn’t even remember the stuff that he threw into the luggage last night. He was too occupied with the idea of seeing Silva, he didn’t really pay attention to the details.

Villa gulps the remaining coffee in his cup when he hears the calling for his flight to board the plane. He is now only a few hours away from the place that he knows he should have come to a long time ago. 

In the plane, Villa looks out to the window, where the white skies look like cotton candies over the blue carpet. But what he sees in his mind is a bright smile on a face where freckles are splattered over the glorious sun-kissed skin. Villa spends the 3-hour flight either thinking about all the 'what-if's and all kind of scenarios he can imagine, or falling asleep where he has a strange dream where three lions are standing around Silva, keeping Villa away from getting closer to him.

It’s a little bit past 2.30 in the afternoon when Villa walks out of the airport. It’s not that much hotter than in Valencia. But still, there is just something different about the atmosphere in the city. Something so typical about cities on smaller islands, surrounded by the sea.

He’s here now. He’s really here now. With his heart beating slightly faster, Villa takes the slightly crumpled paper from his pocket, and reads the name of the hotel written there along with an address. Holding the paper in his hand, he walks to the area where he can find a taxi.

“Can you take me here?” he says to the driver as he gives the paper to the driver.

The driver - an old man who is probably in his mid-50’s - read the address written there. He nods at Villa with a friendly smile.

“Ah, of course, Señor. It’s only about 30 minutes from here,” he says.

“Thank you,” Villa says, resting his back on the seat.

Villa watches the bright blue sky from the window. Every now and then the glistening sea comes to sight.

“Here for a holiday, Señor?” the driver asks him with a cheerful tone.

“Uhm. Kind of,” Villa says, still having his eyes on the window. “I am…visiting an old friend here.”

“Ah… Nice…” the driver says. “And that hotel is a good one.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” the driver tells him. “It’s a nice hotel, good location, and the owner is a very good man.”

The mention of the hotel’s owner makes Villa quickly turn his head to look at the driver.

“You know him? The owner?”

The driver laughs. “Well, not personally. But I think most of the people here know him.”

“Hmmm… So he is quite popular, I guess?”

The driver nods. “Yeah. You can say so. He came from Arguineguín, not too far from here. He used to be a football player. A very good one.”

Hearing the compliment from that driver somehow makes a proud feeling swells inside Villa.

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” the driver gives Villa a quick glance over his shoulder. “David Silva. You know him?”

“I’ve heard of him. Played for La selección too, right?”

“Yes, he did.” The driver continues talking, still with a cheerful tone. “He played in England for most of his career, though. Retired about 15 years ago, then came back to Gran Canaria and built the hotel.”

“Interesting,” Villa says, still wanting to know more about what people think about Silva.

“He was not just a great player. A good man too. Humble, and you know… Unlike other famous players, he’s more quiet. Doesn’t like to be the center of attention, I suppose. Even until now. But never hesitant to do something for his hometown.”

Villa unconsciously has a small smile on his lips. Even through all these years, there are still some things about Silva that haven’t changed yet.

“His son is also playing football too. Playing for Valencia now.”

“Oh?” Villa pretends to sound surprised. “He has a son?”

“Yeah, he has,” the driver nods again. He pauses for a while, and from the rear-view mirror, Villa thinks he sees something that looks like hesitation in the old man’s eyes. But he continues.

“Well, he has a son. But nobody really knows who the son’s mother is,” he says. “Not that anyone really cares about it, anyway,” he quickly adds, and ends it with a chuckle.

Villa says nothing about it, as suddenly a picture of Nathanael crosses his mind.

“Sometimes Señor Silva has some friends from England visiting him. I just drove two of those English people to his hotel a few weeks ago,” he says.

Villa only hums a little, no longer really paying attention. And from the view that he is seeing now, it looks like they’re already arriving in Playa de Las Canteras.

The hotel is located about 10 minutes from the southern part of the beach. The short driveway to the front of the hotel is surrounded by green shrubs, with some blue and yellow flowers here and there.

Villa steps out of the car and gazes at the front of the hotel. From what he can see, the architecture tends to be on the minimalistic side. Not surprising, actually, considering that Silva is the owner of the hotel. Villa knows that something too fancy is not what Silva would prefer.

“Here’s your luggage, Señor,” the driver hands him his luggage.

“Oh, yeah,” Villa takes the luggage. He slips some money bills to the driver’s hand. “Keep the change,” he says.

“Thank you very much, Señor,” the driver nods at him with a wide smile. “Have a great holiday,” he says, and goes back into his taxi.

Villa closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath, preparing himself. Opening his eyes, he straightens his back. He’s here now. There’s no turning back.

He should have done this a long time ago. So he has to do it now. It’s now or never.

Villa walks in and makes his way to the receptionist desk. A guy on the table smiles at him.

“Good afternoon, Sir. Welcome to Cielo Azul Hotel. How may I help you today?”

“Uhm. Do you still have a room?”

The guy nods. “We do, Sir. Do you have any particular preferences?”

Villa waves his hand vaguely. “Just a standard room. Or really, any room will do for now.”

“Certainly, Sir. Can I have an ID, please?”

Villa takes out his passport, and puts it on the table. He watches as the guy types on his computer. A young girl shows up, nods at Villa with a smile before busying herself by checking some papers next to the receptionist.

Villa turns his head to look at the big window on the other side of the room. When he turns his head back to the receptionist, his eyes catch the name tag that the young girl is wearing.

_Chloe._

Isn’t it…?

“Excuse me, Miss?” Villa asks, suddenly feeling nervous.

“Yes, Sir?” The girl lifts his head up and looks at Villa.

“Is that your name? Chloe?” Villa gestures to the name tag.

She nods, looking a bit confused. “Yes?”

“Are you… Are you Silva’s niece?”

The girl’s brows raise up as she stares at Villa with curiosity. “Indeed I am, Sir. I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Villa’s hand flies to the back of his neck. “Uhm. I… I was a former teammate of your uncle…”

The girl looks surprised and pleased at the same time now. “Really? In Manchester?”

Vila shakes his head. “No. Before that. In Valencia.”

“Wow! Do you come here to see Tío David? He must be very happy to see you.”

Villa smiles nervously. “Yeah. I… I want to see him. But… Well.. No, he doesn’t know that I’m coming. I… planned it to be… a surprise?” Villa stutters as he explains himself.

Chloe seems oblivious to Villa’s weird awkwardness. She laughs lightly. “Oh, a few weeks ago he had a surprise visit from his friends too, and now it's you. Tío David will be very delighted. He’s always happy to see his old friends.”

Chloe lightly pats the receptionist's shoulder. “It’s okay, Sergio. I will take care of this.”

The receptionist nods, and steps back.

“We’ll give you one of our finest suites then, Señor…” she pauses as she glances at Villa’s passport. “…Villa.”

“Ah, thank you. But you really don’t have to-“

“Please, Señor. Tío David always wants his former teammates to have the best service that we can provide,” Chloe cuts Villa’s hesitation and smiles at him.

Villa sighs, but returns the smile. “Okay, then.”

“Do you want to see Tío David now, Señor?”

Villa chews his lower lip. He knows that probably the sooner he sees Silva, the better it is. But right now? At this very moment? Suddenly Villa is losing the courage that he had before.

“Can I… have some rest and… get ready first?” he asks, a bit uncertain. “And maybe… Can you take me to see him, later on? Maybe in the evening?

“No problem,” Chloe says. “And if I may suggest, how about at around 7? That’s when he usually has dinner.”

Villa glances at his watch. He has more than 4 hours to prepare himself.

“Yeah. That sounds good to me,” he says. “But, can you… please not tell Silva about this? I mean, until I meet him later?”

Chloe nods. “Of course. I’ll pick you up in your room at around 7 then, and take you to see him.”

“Thank you so much, Chloe. I really appreciate it,” Villa says, giving her a grateful smile.

“No problem. My pleasure to help you,” she says. She turns a little and gestures to another guy. “Nico, can you please take Señor Villa to Suite 721?”

The guy nods and walks towards Villa.

“I’ll see you at 7, then,” Chloe smiles at him. “Have a good day, Señor.”

“Yeah. Once again, thank you,” Villa says.

Villa follows Nico who has his luggage with him. As he walks through the blue-carpeted hallway, he wonders whether things would change after tonight. And in what way they would change.

***

 

James is sitting on his desk, staring at the small box in front of him. He slowly runs his finger on the blue velvet that covers the box.

Sighing, he flips the box open. The rays of sunset coming in from the window fall on a pair of rings inside the box.

He quietly looks at the rings, thinking of the times he has been so close to asking David about it. To finally say something that he has carefully kept for so long in a small corner of his heart, that nobody knows.

For so many times, James gets so disappointed, almost angry at himself for not having enough courage to do it. But he knows, that the reason why he hasn’t done it yet until this point, is just because he doesn’t want to lose David. The fear of losing David always comes on the way whenever he thinks that it’s about time for him to do it.

But now he starts questioning himself. Start questioning his own reasoning.

How would he lose someone that he never really has anyway?

He has a feeling that David loves him. But he doesn’t know what kind of love that David has for him. And for so many years, he’s been too scared to know the answer.

Every day, he chants a silent prayer that David will see, will understand how much he means to James. Every day, he wishes that he will have enough courage to look David in the eyes and tells him what he actually wants besides the smiles, the stories and the touches that they share.

But then every night he lays on his bed, thinking he’ll do it in another day. Every night, he falls asleep thinking that it’s better this way. That being with David like this without having him is better than losing David.

Then again, nothing will last forever, right? He can’t spend forever waiting in vain. He doesn’t want to.

Biting his lower lip, James closes the box again. He takes the box and holds it in his hand. He glances at the clock. It’s 10 minutes before seven. James takes a deep breath, and slowly lets it out in a long sigh.

He has been waiting for too long. It’s now or never.

James stands up, and slides the box into his pocket. He walks out of the room, making his way downstairs.

 

***

 

David is sitting on the couch, reading a magazine when James walks in to the living room. The TV is on with a low volume. A local news program is on.

“David?”

David turns his neck. He smiles at James as he brushes his hair from covering his eyes.

“James! Hi! Where have you been? I haven’t seen you a lot today.”

James smiles back at him as he sits on the armrest of the couch. “Yeah, I took a walk on the beach. And then I… kind of fell asleep in my room.”

David closes the magazine and puts it on the coffee table. “Come on. Let’s have some dinner,” he says, standing up from the couch.

“David?”

It’s either something in his voice, or something on his face. Because now David is looking at him with a strange look. Something so similar to concern.

David sits down again, but keeping his eyes at James. “Yes, James? What is it?”

James tries to smile, but the beating of his heart is too fast for him to stay calm.

“I… I need to talk to you about something.”

David’s brows furrow down. “What is it? Do you want to talk it over dinner?”

James shakes his head. “Maybe after that? Besides, it’s quite a nice evening.”

David smiles a little. “Yeah. Sure. We can take some walk on the beach, and talk, if you want too.” He pauses. “Is it something important?”

James shrugs. “Yeah. Kind of.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “It’s… something that.., may change everything.”

David looks at him with wide eyes for a second, and then he chuckles. “Really? Well, now I am really curious,” he says, and laughs.

Hearing that laughter somehow makes James a bit calmer than before. He grins. “It’s important. But it’s something that can wait until we finish dinner.”

“Good,” David's smile gets wider as he stands up. “Because I am hungry now. Come on.”

James stands up too. But before none of them move, Chloe shows up on the doorway frame.

“Tío David?”

David turns his head to look at Choe. “Yes?”

Chloe smiles. “Someone is here to see you.”

Suddenly James has a nauseous feeling, as his heartbeats go racing like crazy. Standing just a step away from him, David furrows his brows again.

“Really? Who?”

Still smiling, Chloe steps aside. Giving a space for someone to take a step forward.

“Hello, Silvita.”


	19. A Chance. Or No.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's never too late to fix things, as long as someone is still given the chance to do it.

David is flipping the glossy pages of the magazine, absently looking at the pictures and the titles of the articles without really reading them. His mind is too occupied with Nat, who’s been acting weird since yesterday.

Not long after the game ends, David texted Nat to congratulate him. But he didn’t get any reply until a few hours later. And the reply is a short one. Nat only said thanks and told him that he was too tired, he’s going to sleep.

Nat’s text made David hold himself from calling his son. Still, it’s just weird. He knows Nat. Nat always calls David after a game, or the other way around. David tries to tell himself that maybe Nat was tired because he went out celebrating the win with his teammates. David himself is not really buying that reason, though.

Until now, David hasn’t got any text yet from Nat. Let alone a phone call. And it makes some worried thoughts start creeping inside of David.

David is thinking whether he should ask James if he knows something about Nat. David knows that Nat is not just close to James, but also trusts him. Maybe James knows something that David doesn’t know about what is happening with Nat.

That thought makes David realize that he hasn’t seen James a lot today, other than when they had breakfast. And it feels strange. Ever since James came here a few weeks ago, his presence has been something so familiar. It feels like he’s been a part of this house all the time. Like he’d always been living here with David. That’s why it’s like something is missing when David realizes James’ absence.

 “David?”

The familiar voice of the person that he’s thinking about makes David turn his neck. He instantly smiles to see James.

“James! Hi! Where have you been? I haven’t seen you a lot today,” David greets him as he shifts a little on the couch, giving a space for James to sit next to him.

Instead of taking the space, James sits on the armrest of the couch. 

“Yeah, I took a walk on the beach. And then I… kind of fell asleep in my room.”

David puts the magazine back on the coffee table. He eagerly stands up from the couch.

“Come on. Let’s have some dinner,” he says to James.

But James doesn’t stand up.

“David?”

David has known James so long, he doesn’t fail to notice that James’ voice is not as steady as usual. David stares at James, and he can see it, that there is something behind those greenish eyes. Something fragile, that David has never seen before in James’ eyes.

David sits down but keeps his eyes on James. Trying to read what it is that lies behind those eyes.

“Yes James? What is it?”

James tugs up the corner of his lips, but even that smile looks wrong. Like James doesn’t really know whether he’s supposed to smile or not.

“I… I need to talk to you about something.”

The way James’ voice trembles a little makes David’s eyebrows furrow down in confusion. This is not the usual, calm James that he knows.

“What is it? Do you want to talk it over dinner?”

James shakes his head lightly before he answers. “Maybe after that? Besides, it’s quite a nice evening.”

David smiles a little.  He always enjoys a walk on the beach with James. “Yeah. Sure. We can take some walk on the beach, and talk, if you want too.”

He stops for a second, as the way James’ acts is still something that he finds unusual. “Is it something important?”

James shrugs. “Yeah. Kind of,” James says as he runs his fingers between his hair. “It’s… something that.., may change everything.”

The last words that James says somehow makes David gets a bit nervous.

What does James means, it may change everything? David doesn’t want anything to change. He likes it this way. What would James want to change? Why?  Is he leaving? Does it have anything to do with what James said yesterday?

Trying to hide his nervousness, David chuckles. “Really? Well, now I am really curious,” he says. He laughs, hoping that James doesn’t realize how awkward his laughter is.

James’ grin makes David feels a bit relieved.

“It’s important. But it’s something that can wait until we finish dinner.”

“Good,” David smiles as he as he stands up. At least James can still have that grin on his face, so maybe it’s not as bad as what David thought it would be. “Because I am hungry now. Come on.”

David has not even moved yet from where he is standing when he hears Chloe’s voice from the doorframe.

“Tío David?”

David turns his head to look at Chloe. “Yes?”

“Someone is here to see you,” Chloe tells him with a smile.

A guest? Well, it’s not like David doesn’t like having guest visiting him. But not at this time, when he is curious about what James has to say to him.

“Really? Who?” he asks Chloe, unconsciously frowning a little.

Chloe steps aside.

Once David sees the person stepping forward, his heart forgets to beat for a moment.

“Hello, Silvita.”

It’s been years since the last time he heard that voice. But it still feels like a kick on his chest. It still gives him goosebumps.

“How are you?” Villa takes a step forward.

Without thinking, David takes a step back away from Villa. He still can’t say anything. He’s not even sure that it’s real. Maybe it’s just a dream. David blinks, but when he opens his eyes, Villa is still standing there, holding his eyes at David’s with a delicate look in his eyes.

“Villa?” David’s voice is more like a whisper. “What are you doing here?”

Villa curls up his lips into a gentle smile. “I want to see you,” he says. His voice is as soft as the way he whispered to David a long long time ago, it sends a shiver down David’s spine. “I _need_ to see you,” Villa says again.

“I told him that he could join you for dinner,” Chloe says cheerfully. She doesn’t seem to realize the awkwardness between them. “I’ll tell Juliana to set dinner for the three of you, then,” Chloe adds.

“I don’t think Villa will-“

“That would be ni-“

“Thank you but you don’t-“

Started speaking at the same time, the three of them also stop at the same time. David crosses his arms over his chest and looks away to the window. Villa bows his head down, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Sensing the situation, Chloe’s eyes dart from his uncle to the other two guys.

“Uhm…” she says.

James clears his throat. He looks at Chloe and gives her a small smile. “Thank you, Chloe. That would be great.”

“Okay, I’ll tell her now,” Chloe says, looking relieved that she can get away from the situation. She turns around and quickly makes her way to the kitchen.

After the sound of Chloe’s footsteps fade away, silence fills the air. David keeps his eyes on the window, staring at the blue curtain blankly. He can hear the sound of his heavy breathing.

“Silva-“

“What?” David snaps as he turns his head to look at Villa. He can see how Villa gasps in surprise.

“What do you want, Villa?” he asks Villa coldly. The heat of anger creeping in him makes David’s body shiver.

Villa closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a long sigh. He opens his eyes.

“I want to fix things, Silva.”

David can hear the delicate plea in Villa’s voice. He can see the fragile hopeful look in Villa’s eyes. And it makes the anger that he felt before now starts to fade, slowly replaced by a mix of sadness, regret, and other emotions that David cannot recognize.

“Why now? You have twenty years to fix things, Villa. Twenty fucking years! And suddenly, out of nowhere, you just realize that you want to do it now?”

“I… I just didn’t know how to-“

“Oh, you don’t know, you said? If you don’t know, then why didn’t you ask me? Why you never asked me?” David cuts him sharply, even though he can hear his own voice is trembling.

For a second or two, Villa only stares back at David. Then he takes another step forward.

“Then tell me now, Silva. I am asking you now. Tell me how I can fix things between us. Tell me how do you want me to fix it.”

David opens his mouth, tries to say something. But now Villa’s eyes are no longer reflecting that vulnerable hope. There is a fire of will there, and it makes David’s heart stutter. Suddenly out of words, David can only shake his head as he takes a deep breath, and closes his mouth again. He turns his head to look at the wall.

“What if it’s too late already?” he says, not trusting himself to look at Villa.

“Hey,” James says softly as he carefully places his hand on David’s shoulder. “Nothing is too late as long as you give him a chance.

Villa looks at James with a grateful look. But David turns his neck to look at James.

“Shut up, James! You have nothing to do with this. You have no idea what this is all about,” David says sharply as he glares at James.

James’ hand falls from David’s shoulder to his side as he steps back. There is hurt in his eyes, like David just slaps him right on the face without any reason.

“I’m sorry,” James says with a low voice as he looks away to the window.

But what James said seem to have given Villa more confidence. Standing straight, he holds his gaze at David, with that burning fire in his eyes.

“Give me a chance, Silva. Just one chance. Tell me what I have to do to make things between us work again, and I’ll do whatever it takes, whatever you want me to do.”

David glares back at Villa, both hands ball into fist on his side.

“And why should I, Villa? Why should I give you a chance?”

“Because I love you, Silva. I still love you.”

The world suddenly stops spinning as David stares at Villa, lips half-parted. He finally finds it. The answer to one of the questions that he’s been asking to himself.

Now that he hears it, he doesn’t know what to do, what to feel.

David doesn’t even know whether he is still breathing or no, whether his heart is still beating or no. Everything in this world suddenly disappears, with Villa as the only thing that he can look at.

Villa steps forward again. The gap between them is now small enough, David can touch Villa if he just leans forward a little and reaches him out with his hand.

“I’ve loved you before, and I still, I will always love you, Silva. So please, just give me a chance, as it means the whole world for me.”

David closes his eyes. He rubs his face slowly with both hands from his chin to his head.

“I don’t know. I can’t… I can’t… I can’t think right now…” he says, shaking his head with frustration mixed with confusion.

David turns his head to James when he feels James’ hand on the back of his shoulder.

“Why don’t we have dinner first? Maybe after that, you, and all of us, can think better,” James says. There is a vague smile that is barely visible on his lips.

David sighs. Maybe James is right. Even though he’s no longer hungry now, at least having dinner can give him some time to think more clearly.

“Okay,” he says, nodding at James. He turns his neck to look at Villa. “We’ll talk later after dinner.”

David doesn’t wait for Villa to answer him. Still with so many thoughts spinning inside his head, David walks away to the kitchen, leaving the two guys behind.

*******

 

Villa watches David’s back until he disappears from his sight.

“So, Villa…”

The voice calling his name makes Villa realizes that he’s not alone in the room. He turns to look at the guy standing by the couch. He vaguely remembers him as one of David’s former teammate in City. He just can’t remember his name.

The guy smiles at him. “How was your trip from Valencia?”

“Oh, it was okay,” Villa says. He clears his throat. “Sorry, I’m not good with names. But you were with Silva when he was still playing, right?”

“It’s fine. I’m James,” the guy nods. “James Milner. And yes, I played with David in City before I moved to Liverpool.”

“Oh, right,” Villa says, then scratches the back of his ear. “Hey, James?”

“Hm?” James raises an eyebrow.

“Thank you, you know…” Villa says awkwardly. “For... helping me out. You know. About telling him to give me a chance?”. Villa cringes a little. But then he smiles. “Really, thank you so much. I really appreciate it,” he says, this time with a steadier voice.

James returns his smile as he shrugs his shoulder. “Hey, don’t mention it. Everyone deserves a chance, right? Especially when they really want it, to make things…better.”

“Yeah. And I do really want it. A chance to fix things.”

James says nothing, but he stares at Villa. And this time, there is something strange in the way James is looking at him. Feeling like he’s somehow being judged, Villa bows his head down and shifts uncomfortably.

“Anyway,”

Villa looks up again. James is smiling at him, but that strange look lingers in his eyes.

“If you get this chance, just…” James pauses to sigh. “Just make sure that you won’t waste it, okay? Show him that you really deserve it.”

“I will.”

In front of him, James bites his lower lip, like he is thinking deeply about something. Then he sighs and continues. “David is a good guy. He deserves to be happy. And as his friend, I just want to see him happy.”

Villa smiles. “Don’t worry. I’ll do my best,” Villa says.

“Good. Because really,” James stops and looks away to the window.  “I want nothing but him to be happy, and I don’t want him to get hurt,” he says when he looks back at Villa.

“That’s what I want too,” Villa says. “Because I love him.”

James smiles as he nods. He looks away again at the window and stays silent for a while, his hands hidden in his pocket.

“So, I guess you’re joining us for dinner?” James says as he turns his neck and smiles at Villa.

Villa clears his throat. “Well, dinner sounds nice…” he says.

James lets out a small laugh, and walks towards Villa. He slings an arm on Villa’s shoulder.

“Well, let’s go then. I know that Juliana cooked seafood paella for dinner tonight,” he says, guiding Villa to walk out of the living room.


	20. Happy. Happier.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David is happy now with his life. But what if he can even be happier than now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. For those who are in Silvilla team, here...have some of their moments.  
> 2\. For those who ship David/James, here- Wait... Oh, right. I am the only one shipping them. Never mind then...

David is not sure whether he’s supposed to be upset that both Villa and James are there in the dining table. On one hand, it’s good to have James, because he is the one who tries to buffer the situation, making up conversation with the other two. David himself doesn’t really feel like talking. Especially not to Villa. But on the other hand, some ridiculous thought that is so close to jealousy is bothering him. James supposed to be on his side, right? But why now he keeps on talking to Villa, like he and Villa has been friends? James is _his_ friend. _Not_ Villa’s.

Every now and then, David can see how Villa glances at him from the other side of the table. And it makes something strange swirl in his stomach, to see the unspoken hope and plea in Villa’s eyes. David tries to focus on his food. But the food feels like sand on his tongue.

David sighs as he pushes away his plate. James looks at him from where he is sitting, between Villa and David on the round dinner table. David catches James’ eyes, and cocks an eyebrow before looking down to the table.

James clears his throat. “Well,” he says, “I guess now that we’ve done with dinner, I should go,” James says as he stands up.

“Good night, Villa,” he nods at Villa. “Good night, David,” he smiles at David as he steps away from his chair.

David stares at James with a frown on his face. “James? Where are you going?” he asks.

James shrugs his shoulders. “Back to my room? You two need some privacy to talk, right?”

The creases on David’s forehead get deeper. When James passes his chair, he grabs James on his wrist.

“James, wait,” he says.

James bows his head a little, looking back at David with his usual calm expression.

David lets out a sigh. “Do you really have to go?”

“Well, you to need to talk, right? Besides, I have nothing to do with this.”

Even with the small smile on his lips, David can still hear the bitterness in James’ words. His chest feels tight as he squeezes James’ wrist that he’s holding.

“I’m sorry…” David says as guilt creeping in him.

James nods. “’S’ okay.”

David lets go of James’ wrist. “But, what about the things that you said you want to talk about with me?”

James bites his lower lip for a second or two. David thought he sees something bitter in James’ eyes. But maybe he’s just imagining it, as that look is gone as soon as it came.

James smiles. “It’s okay. You have more important thing that you need to deal with,” James says, and gestures a little at Villa. Villa is still sitting on his chair, waiting quietly as he watches James and David talking.

“But you said it’s important!”

“It can wait. Maybe we can talk about it later this evening, or tomorrow morning,” James says. “If there is still time to do it.”

“Yeah,” David says. “Later, or tomorrow. I have nothing really important anyway to do tomorrow morning.”

James stays silent for a while, but then he nods. “Okay. Now, good night, David,” he says, patting David shoulder. David watches his back as James walks away.

“He’s a good friend of you?” Villa asks, making David turn around to look at Villa.

“Yes, he is. He’s one of my best friends,” David says without looking at Villa. He’s looking at the glass of water in front of him, while his finger absently running up and down the glass.

“He seems like a good guy.”

This time David lifts his head up to flashes a glance at Villa. “He is. He is a very good guy.”

David looks down again. Now that there are only the two of them, the silence and awkwardness become thicker. David knows he should say something. He supposed to say something. But he just doesn’t know where, and how to start.

It is Villa who breaks the silence first.

“So,” he says, and pauses a while, like he is mentally preparing himself. “Have you…thought about it?”

David lifts his head up again, this time staring back at Villa. He licks his lower lip. His mind is still too clouded with all the thoughts and mixed emotions that he has.

He sighs. “Are you going to stay here for long?”

“As long as I need to be. As long as you want me to.”

David shakes his head a little, then he stands up. “Maybe it’s better if we talk in the living room.”

Without waiting for Villa, David walks away from the table, making his way to the living room. He doesn’t look back, but he can hear the soft sound of Villa’s footstep following him.

In the living room, David walks to the big window, staring at the dark night sky. Next to him, Villa stands still, waiting quietly.

“What makes you come here?” David finally asks after a minute passes in silence between them. “You didn’t just wake up in the morning, and suddenly thought about flying all the way from Valencia to see me, did you?”

“I met your son.”

Villa’s answer makes David’s head jolt to the side, looking at Villa with surprise in his eyes.

“Did you?”

“Uh huh,” Villa hums as he glances at David, flashing a small smile before looking back at the window. “I met Nathanael.”

“Oh,”

“He really looks like you, you know?”

David lets out a small chuckle. No matter who is talking, his son is always a soft spot of conversation for David.

“Oh, believe me. You’re not the only one who says so,” he says.

“And the look is not the only thing that is similar between you and him.”

This time David keeps his eyes on Villa, waiting for him to continue.

Villa sighs. He has a smile, so close to a nostalgic one, as he turns his head to look at David.

“He also has that attitude of yours,” Villa says.

David’s brows shoot up and for reason he doesn’t understand, his heart suddenly beats faster. He quickly looks away from Villa.

“Oh? Really?” he says, not knowing what else to say to respond to that.

From the corner of his eyes, David can see how Villa nods as he is looking to the darkness outside.

“He was the one who made me realize that I should do this.”

“What did he say?” David asks. He can’t help to feel proud about his son. And at the same time, strangely anxious about what Villa is going to say next to answer him.

“He said,” Villa pauses to take a deep breath. “He said I should be man enough to fix things that I have fucked up before. That I should have enough courage to see you by myself.”

Villa turns his neck and smiles at David. “And that is why I’m here now.”

David chews his lower lip. “I don’t know, Villa. This is… all… too sudden.”

“I know, I am sorry about that. But do you know what I regret the most? That I am doing it now while I should have done it a long time ago.”

David closes his eyes, and presses his forehead against the cold surface of the window.

“And what do you want to do now that you’re here?”

Villa exhales. “First of all, I want to apologize to you. For fucking things up between us. For being such a jerk by treating you like what I had done before.”

David stays silent. Trying to process what Villa said. Trying to recognize whether it’s anger, guilt, or sadness that he is feeling now.

Still failing to understand what his emotion is, David sighs.

“And then? Now that you’ve told me that you’re sorry, what else?”

“Silvita,”

David straightens his back and turns to face Villa. Shadow falls on some part of his face, but David can still remember the feature of the man that he once loved.

Villa locks his eyes with him. Looking at David with his deep and dark eyes.

“I want to see you, to see whether you’re really happy now.”

David tilts his head to the left a little, trying to keep his eyes level with Villa’s.

“What if I am? What if I am already happy now?”

For a second or two, Villa doesn’t say anything, like he is pondering what David just said. And then his lips curl up into a smile.

“Then it’s good. Believe me, there is nothing that I want more in this world than to see you happy.”

David straightens his head back. Looking straight at Villa, he answers him.

“Well, then let me tell you this. I am happy now.”

The smile lingers on Villa’s lips. “Good. I’m happy to know that. You deserve it.”

Villa chews his lower lip. “But then…”

David cocks his head, brows furrow a little as he waits for Villa to continue.

“What if I can make you even happier? What if me being with you, we finally together can make you even happier than you are now?”

David inhales sharply, but can’t make himself look away from Villa. His heart is jumping like crazy in his ribcage.

“Silva, you were happy back then, right? We were happy back then, even when we didn’t really have each other the way we wanted us to be.”

Villa takes a deep breath. When he continues, his voice trembles a little. “So imagine how happy we could be, if we can finally be really together. If all of me can finally be yours.”

David still says nothing. Still too stunned to really understand what Villa said.

Villa takes a small step closer to David, making the gap between them smaller. He carefully places his hand on David’s shoulder. And that touch, that small simple touch is like the electric spark that instantly spreads all through David’s vein.

“Silvita, I’ve told you that there is nothing in this world that I want besides seeing you happy. But you know what’s even better? If you let me be the one who makes you happy, Silva.”

David can feel the grip on his shoulder gets firmer. David doesn’t even know how come he’s still standing as his knees feel too weak to support him.

“So please, Silva. Give me a chance. Give me a chance, and I’ll be the one who makes you the happiest man in this world.”

David bows his head down. Trying to breathe normally, he lifts his head up again. But once he meets Villa’s eyes, so deep, so full with the fire that he once always saw whenever there were only the two of them, it makes David turn away from Villa, looking back at the window.

“Please, Silvita?” Villa squeezes his shoulder, like he wants to make sure that David knows how much he meant what he said.

David sighs. He shakes his head a little.

“Give me some time, okay?” he says. He turns his head again, steeling himself to stare at Villa.

Villa’s lips form a smile as he nods. “Of course. Take as much time as you need. I’ll be waiting.”

“I can’t tell you yet for how long you have to wait. But I can promise you that you won’t have to wait forever.”

Villa closes his eyes for a second. When he opens his eyes back, the warm look in his eyes is as soft as his smile.

“If it’s for you, I’ll wait forever.”

David says nothing, only bowing his head down. But Villa put two fingers under his chin, and lifts his head up again.

“I’ll leave you for now,” he whispers. David feels like he’s hypnotized under Villa’s gaze.

Then he feels Villa’s warm lips against his forehead. Villa lets his lips linger there for a second before he pulls away. He slides his hands into his pocket.

“Good night, _cariño_ ,” he says.

Dazed with what just happened, David only gives him a nod. He watches in silent as Villa walks away. Just before the door frame, he turns around to look back at David. His lips mouths something that David dangerously reads as _I love you_.

David waits until he no longer hears the sound of footsteps. Then, after shaking his head lightly, he turns around, and presses his forehead again on the window.

 

*******

“James?” David knocks on the door. He waits, but he doesn’t hear any sound from the room to answer him.

David’s brows furrowed down as he steps back, and checks the slit between the door and the floor. It’s dark. Has James gone to sleep already?

David glances at his watch. It’s not even 8.30 yet. Even for James, it’s still a bit too early to go to sleep at this hour.

David chews his lower lip when he knocks the door again.

“James?” he calls him again. “Are you sleeping?”

Still, no answer is coming from behind the door.

David holds the door knob, thinking to check himself. Then he stops. Something feels off. Like, there is nothing wrong but he feels that something is not right. But David just can’t put his finger on to it. He can sense it, but he can’t recognize what it is that doesn’t feel like it supposed to.

“James?”

His hand still on the door knob, David calls James again for the third time. When he still hasn’t heard anything from the room, he sighs.

Well, they can still talk about whatever it is that James wants to talk about tomorrow morning right?

_If there is still time to do it_

Suddenly what James said earlier in the dining room replays in David’s head. And without even knowing why, David feels a strange nauseating feeling swirls in his stomach.

David shakes his head a little, trying to push away the strange haunting thoughts from his mind. Maybe James is tired.

David turns around and walks away.

 

*******

Inside the dark room, James stares at the ceiling. Laying on his bed with his arms crossed under his head, he stays still, pretending that he didn’t hear the knocking and David calling him. Half of him wants David to come in, to see whether he’s okay. But the other half of him is relieved when he can hear the sound of David’s footsteps walking away.

James flips to his side. His hand reaching out to open the small box that he put next to his pillow.

_Well, I have Nat. I have you. And that’s enough_

He slowly runs his finger on one of the rings inside the box. The platinum ring feels cold against his skin.

_What if I can’t stay forever?_

_Why can’t you?_

James takes a deep breath slowly, then lets it out slowly.

_That’s what I want too. Because I love him._

He closes the box, and flips again to lay on his back.

It’s not winter yet. But for James, the night feels so cold, it freezes him to the bone.


	21. Running Out of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat and Luca finally understand about some things. And they're running out of time.

Luca just finished putting on his shirt after shower when his phone goes off. Seeing the picture of his father lights up on the screen, Luca quickly slides his finger on the screen to pick up the call.

“Dad! Are you in Gran Canaria now?” he asks. “So how was it? Did you meet Tío David? What did you say? What did he say?”

On the screen, Luca can see his father laughs lightly, looking amused.

“Now hang on. One question at a time, Luca,” Villa says. “And for the first question, yes. I am in Gran Canaria now.”

Luca sits down on his bed, keeping his eyes on the screen. “And? How is it?” he asks.

To his relief, his father can still give him a smile.

“Well, considering that I have prepared for the worst, let’s just say that it’s not as bad as what I have expected.”

“Did you meet him? Tío David?” Luca asks carefully.

The look in his father’s eyes quickly changes into a soft one. He nods.

“Yes, I met him last night. In fact, I am actually staying at the hotel that he owns.”

“Did you two have the chance to…talk?”

“Well. Yeah. Kind of.” This time, Villa’s expression seems to be a bit dim.

“And?”

Villa shrugs his shoulder. There is a small tired smile on his face when he answers Luca. “He said he needed time to think about it. And I can’t blame him for that.”

Luca nods. “Yeah. I guess I understand.” He pauses. “So you’ll be there for quite a while, I suppose?”

Villa nods. “Yeah. I don’t want to screw things up again, Luca.”

“Oh,” Luca says. He chews his lower lip, then carefully asks another question. “Dad, do you think… there’s a chance… you know, for you and Tío David…” he stops there. Mostly because he doesn’t know how to asks the question.

But his father seems to already knows what it is that he wants to ask.

“I hope so, Luca. I don’t know whether there is a chance for that, or whether he will give that chance to me. But I hope so.”

“Is that what you want, Dad? To be together again with him?”

His father looks away for a second or two. When he looks back again at Luca, there is something soft in his eyes.

“If I have to be honest, yes, that’s what I want,” his father stops to take a breath, and lets it out in a sigh. When he continues, a vague smile that is barely there is in his lips. “But do you know what I want more? I just want what’s best for him. I want whatever it is that makes him happy.”

“But you deserve to be happy too, Dad. And I want you to,”

The smile on his father gets a little brighter. “Thank you, son.”

His father clears his throat. “Anyway, as I say, I might gonna be here for a little while. I have my laptop with me so I can still do some work from here. And I have Servio to handle other things there,” Villa says, mentioning his secretary.

“Okay,” Luca nods.

“You’ll be alright by yourself there, right, Luca?”

“Don’t worry, Dad. I can take care of myself here,” Luca answers, giving his father a reassuring smile. “Take your time there. Do whatever you need to do there.”

“Good,” Villa nods. “Let me know if anything happens, okay?”

“Yeah, I will.” Luca says. He glances at the clock. “Dad, I have to go to training now if I don’t want to be late.”

“Oh, right. Okay then. Take care there, Luca.”

“You too, Dad. Good luck!”

Fifteen minutes later, Luca is already driving to the training ground. And he keeps on thinking, why suddenly the definition of happiness becomes so blur for him. He’s happy if his father is happy. But is he really happy, if the reason of that happiness, is something that weighing him on the inside? Stopping at a red light, Luca shakes his head. Somehow he feels guilty, realizing that what has been bothering him is something so selfish of him.

 

*******

Nat is basically a quiet person. That is why nobody says anything about him being more quiet than usual. Or about how he and Luca seem to try keeping a distance from each other.

Or maybe someone does notice that. Because when they have a short 10-minute break in the training, Raul walks towards Nat, who is standing by himself a little far from the others.

“Hey, Nat,” Raul greets him with a smile.

“Mister,” Nat nods at him politely.

“Good game that you had yesterday, Nat,” Raul says, clapping his shoulder. “That was quite an amazing debut.”

“Thank you,” Nat replies. He bows his head down.

“And I am so glad that you connect really well with Luca.”

The mention of Luca’s name makes Nat feels his cheeks heating up. He lifts up his head a little and flashes a smile at his coach.

“He’s a really good player,” Nat replies. He’s not really looking at Raul’s eyes, more like at his shoulders.

“You too, Nat. And both of you make a perfect and deadly combination on the field.”

“Uhm. Thank you,” Nat says. He quickly bows his head down again.

For a while, Raul says nothing. After a few seconds, Nat finally lifts his head up again. Raul is looking at him with something strange in his eyes.

“Mister?”

“Nat,” Raul says, tilting his head a little. “What do you think about Luca?”

Nat feels the rush of heat again all over his face. He licks his lower lip, and shifts awkwardly where he stands.

“Well… He’s… He’s a very good player,” he answers, even though this time it sounds more like he’s asking for affirmation instead of making his own statement.

“And what about him aside a football player? What do you think about him?”

Nat blinks. “What… what do you mean?”

This time Raul’s smile is softer, more like a fatherly one. “What do you think about him? Do you like him?”

With a reflex, Nat glances to where Luca is standing now, along with two other teammates. And at the same time when he’s glancing at him, Luca is also looking at him. Once their eyes meet each other, Luca looks away while Nat bows his head down.

He clears his throat. He looks back at Raul and awkwardly rubs the back of his neck.

“Well. He’s a nice guy. A good friend.”

Nat knows he’s not really answering the question. But to be honest, he doesn’t want to answer that. He himself doesn’t know how he wants to answer that question.

When he braces himself to look at Raul, the coach is watching him closely.

“Mister?”

“You know what, Nat? You’re really very much alike with your father,” Raul says with a faint smile.

Nat smiles shyly. “Yeah, that’s what people say. I get his look. And of course, we’re both midfielders,” he says.

Raul shakes his head a little. “I’m not really talking about that, Nat. Yes, you do look like your father, and you play like him. But there are other things where you and your father have some things in common,” Raul pauses. When he continues, the look in his eyes is something that Nat can’t read. “Some things that you might not realize yet.”

Nat inhales sharply. He bows his head down, but his eyes dart to the direction where Luca is. When he lifts his head up again, Raul is gazing at where Luca is standing. Raul looks back at Nat, and pats his shoulder again.

“Anyway, keep up the good work, Nat. If you keep on doing like this, it won’t be long before you become a regular starter,” he stops, and gestures with his chin to the direction of Luca. “Along with Luca, of course.”

Nat’s heart beats a bit faster. Before he says anything, Raul already walks away from him, clapping his hands and shouting some commands to the players to gather again.

Nat lets out a sigh. Brushing his hair away from covering his eyes, he shakes his head, trying to push away some weird thoughts crossing his mind about the conversation that he just had.

Still, while he’s walking to join the rest of his teammates, he’s still thinking whether what Raul meant was the same with what he has been thinking about.

 

*******

From the corner of his eyes, Nat can see Luca is walking towards him. Despite his racing heartbeats, Nat tries to stay calm as he continues taking his stuff from his locker to put into his bag. But his heart skips a beat when Luca stops right next to his locker.

“Nat?”

“Yes?” Nat says, but still looking to the inside of his locker.

“Nat…”

Nat licks his lower lip, and slowly turns his neck to look at Luca.

“Yes?”

Luca stares at him with something fragile in his eyes.

“Are you going home after this?”

Nat nods. “Yes. But I don’t have the car. My uncle will pick me up.”

“Oh,” Luca fixes his bag on his shoulder. “You know what, I can actually give you a ride.”

Nat’s heart skips a beat again. The tips of his ears are burning when he pushes his hair away from his eyes.

“Luca, I don’t think that- “

“Nat…”

Nat stops.  In front of him, Luca is still staring at him, and the fragile look is still there in his eyes. It clenches Nat’s heart to see how those eyes make Luca look so vulnerable.

Luca grips the strap of his bag slung on his shoulder. 

“Nat, please?”

Nat stares back at Luca for a second or two. It hits him that maybe the same look was the reason why his father once could never say no.

Nat sighs. He tugs the corner of his lips into a faint smile.

“I’ll text my uncle that he doesn’t have to pick me up, then.”

It’s just amazing how that answers makes the look in Luca’s eyes changes into something bright in a split second along with a smile. A smile that warms Nat’s heart, making him smile too.

“Okay, great,” Luca says. He runs his fingers between his hair. “So. Uh. I’ll wait in my car? While you… text your uncle?”

Nat nods. “Okay. I’ll see you later then.” He brushes his hair away from his forehead again. “Soon,” he adds, smiling.

Luca’s cheeks look brighter when he nods. “Yeah. Soon.”

He turns around and starts walking away. He’s only a few steps away when he stops, and turns his head to look back at Nat.

“Nat?” he calls with a shy smile on his lips. “Thank you."

Nat bites his lower lip but can’t hold himself from smiling when he nods at Luca.

 

*******

Nat opens the door and enters the car. He sits down and looks at Luca, smiling coyly.

“Hey,” Nat says.

Luca grins. “Hey, Nat?”

“Hm?” Nat raises his eyebrows as he buckles on his seatbelt.

“Do you like ice cream?”

Nat’s eyes widened. Then he chuckles. “Well, yes. But why?” he asks Luca back.

The grin on Luca’s face gets wider as he turns on the engine of the car.

“Because we’re going to have some.”

 

*******

Luca drives them to a small ice cream shop. The drive there was a little awkward. But once they got into the ice cream shop, and starts debating on what flavor is the best, the awkwardness just disappears. As he’s laughing amusedly at how Luca insists that mint and chocolate make the best combination, it amazes Nat to realize how ice cream can be a good ice breaker.

They decided to order two scoops of ice cream for each of their cups. Each of them choose the flavor for one of the scoop, and choose the flavor for the other scoop in the other person’s cup. The middle-aged lady who owns the shop; and apparently has known Luca for quite a while; insists to give each of them another scoop. She said it’s because she hasn’t seen Luca for quite some time. And of course Luca’s friend is her friends too, no?

There are only three or four other people in the shop. Sitting across each other on the table next to the window, they eat their ice cream and give their verdicts on the flavor chosen for them from the other. From there the conversation continues to the best food they have ever had in each place that they have visited. That goes on into conversation about places that they have gone to, and the ones where they want to go.

Before Nat knows it, they have been sitting there for almost two hours already. And Nat realizes that this is the first time since he came to Valencia where he really enjoys the time. Where he really smiles and laughs wholeheartedly. And Nat can no longer deny how every now and then, the way Luca looks and smiles at him will make a thousand butterflies flap their wings in his stomach.

“You know one of the things I miss the most from Gran Canaria?” Nat says, resting his back on the seat. “The beaches.”

Something glints in Luca’s eyes as he looks back at Nat.

“Then why don’t we go to a beach now?” he asks, with the left tip of his mouth curling up into a lopsided smile.

Nat raises his eyebrows. But the twinkle in Luca’s eyes makes Nat only wants to see those eyes again, for just a little longer.

“Well,” Nat says. “To the beach we go, then.”

 

*******

Luca parks the car not too far from the seashore, so they can still easily see where the sea and the sky are touching each other. They sit on the top of Luca’s car next to one another, close enough that their shoulders are almost touching each other.

The light of the crescent moon falls on the sea, creating a silver line that moves along the waves. At the other side of the beach, the lights coming from the lamps of the buildings are like bright stars lining up at the horizon. For a while, it’s only the sound of the waves crashing on the seashore that fills in the silence.

Luca steals a glance at Nat. Nat has his eyes gazing at the horizon. The contemplative look on his face makes Luca wonder what it is that Nat is thinking about.

Luca looks back at the dark velvet night sky. None of them says anything yet, but somehow, Luca finds it peaceful; sharing the silence with Nat.

Luca sighs contently, and turns his neck at Nat. “Hey, Nat?”

Nat turns his head to face Luca. “Yes?”

Luca smiles. “Thanks for today.”

It’s too dark, but Luca swears that he can see how Nat’s cheeks suddenly blushed.

“Well, thanks to you too. I had a really good time,” he says, smiling shyly.

“Me too. I’m glad that I spent it with you,”

Nat says nothing to that. But the way his face lightened up with a smile is already enough to give Luca a warm rush all through his vein.

Without thinking, Luca’s hand flies to Nat’s forehead, brushing away the hair that covers his eyes. Their eyes meet, and for a second, Luca feels like the world is holding its breath.

Luca quickly pulls away his hand and looks away. But he still catches the glimpse of Nat, biting his lower lip, like he’s trying to hold back a smile.

Silence fills the air between them again. Every now and them, they will steal glances at each other. And every time their eyes meet, Luca’s heart skips a beat.

“It’s getting late,” Nat says softly.

Luca nods hesitantly. “Yeah,” he says. “I know.”

“But,” he pauses to look at Nat. “Can we… stay here, for just a little longer?”

Nat stares at him with a bittersweet look in his eyes. But there is a small smile on his lips when he nods.

“Yeah. Sure.”

Luca turns his head back at the horizon. The moon is higher on the sky now. He takes a deep breath, and lets it out in a sigh.

“Nat,” he says. “Do you think I am being selfish, if I feel like we’re running out of time?”

“What do you mean?”

Luca turns his head back again at Nat. “You know what I mean.”

Nat bites his lower lip. He holds his eyes at Luca’s, then a sad smile curls up on his lips. The light in his eyes gets dimmer.

He looks away from Luca, and shakes his head. “I don’t know, Luca,” he says, and pushes away his hair from his forehead. “But if to think like that makes you a selfish person, then I am also being selfish.”

“For what?”

Nat looks back at Luca. “For wishing that we had more time than what we have now.”

For a while, the world stops spinning. Luca stares into Nat’s eyes, and feels like he just found a piece of him that he never realized he’s been missing. And it hurts him to realize that he will soon lose that piece from him.

Luca smiles, even though something feels hollow in his chest. He gently brushes away Nat’s hair from his forehead, then carefully cups Nat’s jaw with his hand.

“Now I understand why my dad just wanted to spend more time with your father,” he says softly.

In front of him, Nat returns his smile. A beautiful sad smile that makes Luca feels breathless.

“And now I understand why my father could never say no to your father,” Nat says, voice only a little above a whisper.

He takes away Luca’s hand from his jaw, and holds it into his, lacing their fingers together.

*******

 

Nat glances at the small numbers at the corner of his phone. It’s almost an hour past midnight, and he still can’t sleep. He puts back his phone next to his pillow. Nat flips to lay on his side, and for the hundredth time since he lays on his bed, he sighs.

Maybe what he wants to do is wrong. Or at least, it’s not the right thing, it’s not the best thing to do. But there is that little voice in his head that keeps on telling him that he also deserves to be happy. And he is indeed, doesn’t have much time for what it is that he realizes is something that makes him happy.

He chews his lower lip, then steels himself to do it. He reaches out for his phone, and starts typing a message.

_Hey, Luca. Can you give me a ride to training tomorrow morning?_

His heartbeats go crazy as he sends the message. He puts the phone next to his pillow, and waits. Even when the screen of his phone turns dark again, he still stares at it.

Almost fifteen minutes later, his phone finally lights up again with an incoming message.

Heart jumping in his ribcage, Nat slides his finger on the phone, and reads the message that Luca just sent him.

_Sure. I’ll pick you up at 8 so we’ll have time to have some breakfast together._


	22. When Things Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James tells him what it is that will change everything.  
> Villa tells him that he wants to change things.  
> David wonders how so many things have changed in just a few days.

 It’s not even 8 in the morning yet when David knocks on James’ door. This time, he can hear James answering him.

“Yeah. Coming!”

Two seconds later, James swings the door open.

“Oh. Hey, David,” he says, holding the door knob.

David studies James’ face. He looks paler than usual, and his smile is missing. It’s not even in his eyes.

“I came here last night,” David says.

“Oh. Really?”

David cocks his head to the left a little. Some creases form on his forehead.

“Yes. I thought you want to talk about something with me?”

James runs his hand over his head. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I fell asleep last night.”

David wants to ask why James unusually slept so early last night, but decided not to.

“So,” David shrugs, and smiles. “Want to talk about it now? Over breakfast?”

James blinks. “Uhm. You know what, David, I guess I’ll skip breakfast this morning.”

David frowns. “James, is everything alright?”

“Yeah… Yeah…” James lets out a small laugh. But David can’t be fooled with that fake laughter.

“James, what is it?” David asks again. He’s not just confused now. The way James acts in front of him somehow makes him really uncomfortable. It’s not the James that he knows.

James rubs the back of his neck. “I’ll tell you later. You’ll be in your office after this, right?”

“Uh huh,” David nods.

“I’ll see you later, then.” James says. He flashes an awkward smile at David, and closes the door.

David’s lips are half-parted as he stares at the closed door in front of him. For a few seconds, he just stands there, bemused with what happened.

Can’t figure out what is happening with his best friend, David shakes his head as he turns around. Well, looks like James really meant it when he said he’ll skip breakfast, David ponders as he walking down the stairs.

As he’s having his breakfast, David realizes another strange thing. James opened the door by himself instead of inviting David to just come in like what he usually does.

*******

 

David scrolls through his e-mail, but can’t really concentrate on anything. Every now and then he glances at the clock, wondering why James hasn’t dropped by in his office yet.

It’s almost 10 o’clock when David hears a soft knocking on his door.

“Come in!”

When James’ head pops in, the feeling of relief warms David’s vein. He smiles as he stands up.

“James! There you are!”

David walks around his desk to the front side of it as James walks in. James stops a few steps in front of David, who is half-sitting on his desk.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” David grins. “I almost thought that you got lost.”

James only tugs his lips into a thin smile that last for only a split second. Seeing that, David’s grin disappears.

“James? What is it?” David asks warily, trying to see what it is behind James’ expression.

Instead of answering him, James only stares at David. David stares back at him, and it hits him to realize that the greenish eyes are not smiling. There is something so similar to sadness in those eyes, and it strangely makes David feel like he’s choking on something.

The longer James stays silent, the nervous David gets.

Finally, James curls up his lips into a smile. But the smile doesn’t reach his eyes and David hates to see how that smile doesn’t light up James’ face.

“I am going back to England. My flight is in two hours.”

David’s mouth parted in shock as he looks at James with disbelief.

“Why?”

“Well, I’ve been here for too long,” James says.

“But James, I-“

“David, please.”

David stops, and closes his mouth again.

“We both know that, and we both know that at some point I have to go back to England anyway.”

“But…But… why so sudden, James?” David tries to protest.

James looks away to the window. When he looks back at David, that humorless smile is still on his lips.

“Well, now that Villa is here, I don’t think you need any more distraction.”

“But you’re not a distraction!”

James is that solid rock by the sea that holds David from drifting away. James is that lighthouse giving assurance that things will be alright.

What does he mean that he’s a distraction?

He’s not. James is not a distraction at all.

James sighs, and locks his eyes at David’s. His smile is barely there, and his eyes are still dim without any light.

“Whether I am a distraction or no, it will be much better for you, and for Villa, if I’m not around.”

For a few second, David can only stare at James, still out of words, still can’t understand what it is all about. His chest feels tight and suddenly the air is too heavy for him. David takes a deep breath and lets out a long sigh. He runs his hands from his face to his head.

“But…you will still coming here for the next time, right? You’re not really leaving me, are you?”

“David, I-“

“Or I can visit you in England! Javi can take care of the business anyway. I think I can even go there this weekend. And I can-“

“David.”

James’ voice sounds so hollow, it stops David from rambling.

“I… I don’t think I will ever come again,” James says.

David blinks. On his side, his hands grip the sides of the table, as he suddenly needs to hold on something.

“You won’t? You won’t come again?” David asks in disbelief.

In front of him, James shakes his head. “I won’t.”

“But…” David inhales sharply. “Is this what you said will change everything?”

James doesn’t answer, but the way he’s looking at David makes something ache inside David’s chest.

“But… why it has to change, James? Why it has to change like this?”

He doesn’t want to. David doesn’t want anything to change. He still wants to have James close to him. He still needs to know that he still, he will always have James as someone whom he can turn to.

James bites his lower lip, but still has his eyes on David. David’s chest raises and falls rapidly as his heart races, waiting for James to say something.

James sighs. And then there is that strange, vague smile again on his lips.

“You know what it is that will change everything?”

David can’t answer. He can’t even move. James takes a few small steps forward, closing the gap between them.

“This,” James says as he gently cups David’s cheek with one hand. “This will change everything,” he whispers as he slowly leans his face forward.

David gasps, but his eyes closed in reflex when James’ lips brush his. His hand just flies instinctively to the back of James’ head, holding it.

Then time freezes and everything disappears and the only thing that David can feel is the warmth of James’ lips against his.

Suddenly James pulls back. David inhales sharply as he opens his eyes. Dazed, almost believes that he was dreaming, David stares at James, who still has his hand on David’s cheek.

David is half-panting but at the same time, he feels strangely breathless.

In front of David, James’ eyes gazing into his eyes with a gentle look.

“James…” David can only whisper with his trembling lips.

James’ smile looks bitter and the look in his eyes makes David’s throat feel like its full with sand.

He slowly rubs David’s lips with his thumb, like he is erasing the traces of his lips that were there a second ago.

“Goodbye, David,” James whispers.

David’s brain is freezing and he can’t make any part of his body move as James pulls away his hand from David’s cheek. Feeling like he’s a part of a movie being played in slow motion, David can only watch James’ back as he makes his way to the door, opens it, and disappears behind it.

Five minutes later, David still stares at the closed door.

When he finally gets himself together, he rubs his face with both hands.

As David sits back on his chair, he knows that James is right.

 _It changes everything_ , David quietly thinks to himself as he gazes at the sea from the window.

*******

James gets in to the taxi and rests his back on the seat.

“Where to, Señor?” the driver asks him from the front seat.

“To the airport, please.” James says.

From the rearview mirror, James can see the driver nods politely. The taxi starts running, leaving the hotel behind.

James turns his head to the window, gazing at the sky. The sun is bright, and it makes him start to think about the hopes and dreams that he keeps somewhere deep in his heart. The sea is glistening under the sunlight, and James wonders whether the sea will ever no longer remind him of a pair of beautiful brown eyes where James always drown in to.

James closes his eyes, and shakes his head. He knows he has no choice but buries his love somewhere, in a place that the world has forgotten.

He opens his eyes and sighs. He carefully pats the driver’s shoulder.

“Hey, can you stop over there? Won’t be long,” he says, pointing to a spot of the seashore next to the road.

The driver raises his eyebrows, looking confused for a second. But he nods.

“Of course, Señor.”

The driver makes a turn to the left, and stops his car not too far from the road.

“Thank you. It won’t be long, not even five minutes,” James says and gets out of the car.

James walks closer to the seashore, and stops just a few inches away from where the waves crash at the sand. He gazes at the sea, glistening under the sun.

He can’t recall since when David has had that piece of his heart, without him even knowing it. He can’t remember since when David’s smile has become something that makes everything a little bit brighter, a little bit better. But he doesn’t know whether he can ever forget how David has walked into his life. Maybe someday he will be able to forget it. Maybe.

Sliding his hand into his pocket, James takes out the small box. With his thumb, he flips the box open. Sun rays falling on the pair of rings there, reflected back as bright light by the platinum rings. Smiling bitterly, James takes another look on the rings, before closes the box again.

He takes a deep breath, and throws the box to the ocean, as far as he can.

Once the box touches the waves, it’s swallowed by the ocean. Trying to ignore the cold stab, aching in his chest, James tells himself that he has no choice. He’s a cast away. His hopes and dreams and wishes have to be thrown away to a place colder than the darkest sea. Just like how he has to bury his love in a place where even the moon cannot shine.

James turns around and walks to the taxi. The driver still sits in his seat, waiting patiently. James gets in and closes the door.

“Okay,” James says. “Let’s go now.”

The driver nods, and starts the engine.

Two hours later, James is gazing at the blue sky with white clouds scattered over it from the window of the plane.

He slowly runs his finger on the surface of the window. No matter how he tries to forget it, he can never lie how David will always be his most beautiful _what if_ , his most bittersweet _if only_.

*******

Late in the afternoon, David hears a knocking on the door.  His forehead creases as he looks at the door.

“Come in?”

When Villa opens the door and walks in, David raises his eyebrows. But somehow, he finds himself not really surprised nor excited.

Villa walks towards David’s desk. He stops, and smiles a little. “Your niece told me that I can find you here,” Villa says

David shrugs his shoulders. “Well, this is my office,” he says. “So, what’s up?” he asks.

“Are you busy this evening?”

David brows furrow down, but he shakes his head. “Not really. Nothing in particular.”

“Good,” a grin spreads on Villa’s lips. “I’m taking you out for dinner.”

“Huh?”

“We’re going out for dinner. I’ll pick you up at 7. Okay?”

David shakes his head a little. “And I guess you won’t take no as an answer?”

“Nope. And I promise you, you won’t regret it.”

David sighs, but he gives Villa a small smile. “Oh well, okay then.”

“Great!” Villa’s grin is wider now and his eyes twinkle with excitement. “I’ll see you at 7, then.”

Villa turns around, and whistles as he walks away.

David watches until Villa closes the door. Running his fingers between his hair, David looks away to the window. He doesn’t know what to expect, and maybe, it’s better if he expects nothing anyway.

David gazes at the sky, and wonders whether James has arrived back in England. David shakes his head. He still doesn’t really know what to do, or even what to feel about it. But for now, maybe it’s better if he prepares himself for the dinner.

*******

Villa comes exactly on time, with a sleek black car that he rents while he’s in the town. He takes David to a fine dining restaurant, located at the top of another hotel. The waiter takes them to the table that Villa has reserved, right next to a window that offers them the stunning view of the beach.

A simple but elegant flower arrangements of red roses and white lilies acts as a centerpiece of their table. David raises his eyebrows to see a red rose placed neatly on each of their plates. He turns his head a little to look at Villa. But when Villa catches his eyes, he looks away, his cheeks reddening. David bites his lower lip to hold himself from smiling, can’t help to stop feeling a bit smitten by the act.

After taking their orders, the waiter nods politely, and leaves them.

“You’re really serious in preparing this, huh?” David asks, a bit teasingly. “Well, I have to say that I’m impressed.”

Villa crooks his lips into a rather smug grin. But there is something soft and sincere in his eyes when he speaks. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”

David’s heart stutters a little. He smiles at Villa. “Thank you, Villa. This is amazing.”

Villa’s eyes light up as he returns David’s smile. “You’re welcome. I’m so glad that you like it.”

Somehow, the way Villa looks at him with something so close to adoration makes David’s stomach flutter. Feeling his face starts heating up, David takes his glass of wine, and takes a sip.

Villa props his elbows on the table, and intertwining his fingers together. “So,” he says. His eyes never fall from David’s as he talks. “Tell me. What makes you decided to go into hotel business?”

David tilts his head a little to the left, studying Villa’s expression. But Villa looks really interested, and David can see how Villa is really trying to make this go well. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with catching up about what has been happening with each of them after so long, right?

So David starts to talk. Villa is listening intently, asking him questions and giving comments here and there. Before David realizes it, they already talk with each other about themselves, about the people that they both know, and other things in their life.

They still tiptoeing around some topics that they both silently agree not to talk about. But still, David can’t lie that he really enjoys the time. As time goes by, he finds himself more and more relax, smiling and laughing. And time passes by without neither of them realize it.

*******

More than two hours later, after four courses of meal, the wine that he has been drinking makes David feel more courageous.

“Tell me, Villa,” David says, playing a small fork with his hand. “Why are you doing this? Are you bribing me to make me come back to you?”

“Is it working?” Villa asks him back with a lopsided grin.

David’s brows shoot up, but Villa shakes his head as he laughs lightly.

“No. Just joking,” he says. “It’s because…” Villa pauses, but his eyes are locked at David’s.

David raises an eyebrow and nods, signaling Villa to continue.

Villa takes a deep breath, and exhales. The smile and his eyes look sincere as he speaks.

“Back then, we never had a chance to do something like this, right? Go out together, just the two of us.” Villa stops again, and licks his lower lip. “We’ve never had a chance to have a proper date.”

David’s heart skips a beat as he stares at Villa. Villa smiles. A soft, gentle smile with a warm light in his eyes.

“And that is what I want to do, Silva. I want to give you everything that we haven’t had the chance to have back then. I want to give you what you and I have been missing.”

Heat starts spreading quickly from the tip of David’s ears to all over his face. He looks away from Villa as his heart starts jumping like crazy.

Villa reaches out to cover David’s hand with his own.

“I know I hurt you. This time, I won’t. I promise, I won’t, Silvita. I will only do whatever it is that you want, whatever it is that can make you happy.”

David licks his lower lip, then slowly turns his head to look back at Villa. The smile on Villa’s face triggers a pull in his chest.

Villa takes his hand, and places a kiss on the back of David’s hand.

“I love you, Silvita. Let me love you.”

*******

Villa walks next to David from the car to David’s house, a small mansion just behind the Cielo Azul.

David stops right in front of the door, and makes a 90-degree turn to face Villa.

“Thank you, Villa,” he says earnestly. Villa obviously is trying his best, and David really appreciates it. “I had a good time.”

“Me too,” Villa smiles and nods. “I’m really happy that I can spend time only with you.”

His ears burning, David bows his head down, trying to calm himself down. After a second or two, David lifts his head up again, and he clears his throat.

“So, good night, Villa,” he says, smiling awkwardly, his knees suddenly feel so weak.

Villa holds David’s chin with two fingers. He leans his face closer to David. His warm breath tickles David’s skin as he whispers.

“Good night, cariño.”

He kisses David’s cheek, his lips slightly brushing the corner of David’s lips. His lips are warm against David’s skin but David feels a shiver runs through his spine.

Villa pulls back, and gently runs his thumb over David’s cheekbone.

“Sleep well, okay?” Villa says, and pulls his hand away from David.

David nods.

Villa turns around, and walks away. After a few steps, he stops, and turns to flash a smile at David. Just like the night before, he mouths something that David reads as _I love you_. Standing still in front of the door, David watches until Villa is out of his sight.

David sighs. He opens the door and walks in. David closes the door, and rests his back against it. He slowly rubs his face with both hands.

He wonders whether he’s supposed to be happy or no. Because right now, what he feels is only confusion.

Later on, as David lays on his bed, he can’t stop thinking how so many things have changed in just a few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I kind of updating this a bit too quick. Sorry about that.


	23. The Emptiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David feels an emptiness inside of him. He starts thinking, maybe it's time for him to fill in that emptiness.

The time that David sets for his alarm is already quite early, so he has enough time to get ready for the day. But this morning, he wakes up way before his alarm goes off. He lays on his bed, in the quietness of his room that is still dark.

He tries to go back to sleep but his mind is too full with so many thoughts. So he finally gets up, and sits on his bed for a few minutes, staring blankly at the wall.

After a while, he stands up and walks to the window. He opens the curtain, and gazes at the violet sky, where the first early rays of sun start peeking in.

David reaches out for his phone from the nightstand, and slides his finger on it to make a call. While waiting for his call to be picked up, he turns on the overhead lamp.

It’s not long before Nat picks up his call.

“Papá!” Nat waves at him from the screen. “How are you?” he asks with a smile.

“Hey, Nat.” David smiles back at his son. He hasn’t spoken to Nat yet since that last game. Seeing Nat’s smile somehow makes his chest a bit lighter. “You’re up early.”

Nat laughs. “Yeah. I got a morning training session today.”

David raises his eyebrows. “Really? Are you sure that Nando will be wake up already to take you to training? Or are you driving by yourself.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Papá.” Nat shakes his head. “I will have a friend pick me up.”

“Oh? Good. Who? Asier?”

Nat clears his throat and runs his hand on the side of his neck. “Uhm. No. It’s… someone else. Another friend.”

“Good,” David nods. He’s glad that it looks like Nat starts making friends there.

“So,” Nat clears his throat again. “How are you, Papá?”

“I’m…alright…”

David can see how Nat is studying his face from the screen.

“Papá, what is it?” Nat asks him with questioning eyes. “I know something is bothering you. And you don’t usually call me so early in the morning like this. You usually wake up earlier if something is on your mind.”

David sighs, but there is a small smile on his lips. “You’re such a good observer, Nat.”

Nat grins. “Guess from whom I get that trait?”

“Anyway,” David says, and runs his fingers between his hair.

Nat nods at him, waiting for David to continue. David walks to the bed and sits there.

“Villa is here.”

“I know.”

David’s brows furrow down. “Really? Who told you that?”

Nat shifts a little and rubs the corner of his eyes with a finger. “I mean, I… I met him. After the game.”

Nat stops, and sighs before he continues. “I’m sorry Papá. I should have told you earlier. But I met Villa after the game. And… Well… Maybe I… lost some self-control and… you know, say some not very nice things to him.”

Nat rubs the side of his neck again. “So. I kind of guessed, that… It’s something that he’d do? I mean… After the things that I said to him…”

Smiling slightly, David nods. “Yeah. He told me that he met you. And he said it was you that made him realize that he had to come to see me.”

“Did he? Said that?” Nat’s eyes widened as his brows shoot up.

“Yeah, that’s what he said.”

“Oh,” Nat says. He bites his lower lip. “And?”

“What and?”

“What else that he said? Did he tell you what he wants?”

Nat’s question makes David’s head replaying all the words that Villa said. He turns his head to look at the window, and the fresh memories of what happened in the last two days flashing in his mind, like fragments of a movie.

“Papá?”

Nat’s voice makes David blink. He turns his head to look back at Nat.

“Yes, Nat?”

Nat looks at him with something strange in his eyes. Like a mix of concerns and curiosities.

“Did he tell you? About what he wants?” Nat asks again carefully.

David takes a deep breath, and lets out a long sigh. “Well, he said he wants to fix things between us, and make it work again.”

“Oh.”

Both of them say nothing for a while. David gazes at the window again. Rays of sunrise starts sneaking in now, creating lines of lights on the floor.

“Do you think it can happen?”

David looks back at Nat. “What? What can happen?”

Nat holds his eyes on David’s, like he wants to know whether David is answering him honestly.

“Do you think it can be fixed? And…whatever it is between you and him,” Nat moves his hand vaguely. “Do you think him, both of you, can work it out again?”

That is one of the questions that David has been asking himself. And he can’t find an answer for himself. Let alone an answer that he can give to Nat.

He rubs his face with his hand. “I honestly don’t know yet, Nat. It’s… It’s just…confusing,” he says, almost frustrated with his confusion.

He pauses. “But well, I have to admit, that Villa is trying his best to show that he really meant what he said.”

“Oh,” Nat says. “Good for him.”

David frowns a little, as he senses something strange in Nat’s voice. It’s not actually cold, it’s more like…bitter. But he hasn’t had the time to ponder more about it, as Nat already asks another question.

“And what about Uncle James? Did he also meet Villa? What did he say? Did you ask what he thinks about it?”

The mention of James’ name makes something icy cold rushes down David’s spine. He strangely feels his throat dries. David’s finger unconsciously flies to his lips as he remembers how James’ lips were gently pressed against his yesterday. Suddenly he feels like he can still taste the warmth of James’ lips there, making him shudder inside.

“Papá?” There are some creases on Nat’s forehead. “Did Uncle James say anything?”

David looks away again, his heart stutters. David takes a deep breath, and lets it out as he turns his head to look at Nat.

“James went back to England yesterday,” David says. His voice sounds so hollow, he can barely recognize it as his own voice.

The creases between Nat’s brows get deeper. “He went back? To England? Why so sudden? The last time we talk you said nothing about him planning to back.”

David chews his lower lip. He looks down, avoiding Nat’s eyes that are full with confusion and questions.

“What happened? Did you two fight or something?”

David quickly lifts his head up. “No, no,” David shakes his head. “It’s not that. It’s nothing like that…”

David pushes his hair from his eyes. “It’s… It’s something complicated, Nat.”

“What do you mean complicated?” Nat still insists. “Do you want me to talk to him or something?”

“No, please no, Nat,” David quickly shakes his head again. “I… I’ll figure out something by myself later, okay?”

Nat doesn’t seem to be satisfied with his answer.

“Papá, what-“

“Nat, I think you have to get ready for training now,” David cuts his son before Nat can finish his question.

Nat stares at him for a while, but then he finally sighs. “Okay, I guess you’re right,” he says.

“I’ll talk to you later, okay? Take care there.”

“You too, Papá. Bye.”

“Bye, Nat.”

David absently throws his phone on the bed. He sits still for a while, looking at the window.  After a while, he reaches out his phone again. Biting his lower lip, he starts typing a message.

_James, I hope you got there to England, safe and sound._

_I just want you to know how thankful I am for everything that you’ve done for me. Things will never be the same again without you._

 

Something funny is pulling in his chest as he swipes the screen to send the message.

After 15 minutes, David is still holding his phone. The screen stays dark. David bites his lower lip, strangely feeling something hollow inside of him as he puts the phone on the bed. He shakes his head, but that dull pain in his chest is still there. He stands up, and makes his way to the bathroom.

As he is getting ready for the day, he wonders what other things that will happen today.

*******

It’s a strange morning for David as he is having his breakfast. Eating his meal, he’s almost surprised to realize the silence feels weird, and unpleasant. For the last three weeks, he had been used to have James sitting across of him, sipping his tea that he always made himself. He’s already got used to have someone to have a light conversation with.

Every now and then, David glances at his phone that he puts on the table. But the screen stays dark. David sighs, as he sips his coffee. It tastes much bitter than usual.

*******

“Listen, Milly,” Joe says as he starts cutting the sandwich in front of him. “It’s not that I’m not happy that you’re finally back. And you know that I always love taking a short break from work to have lunch with you like this.”

James glances at Joe, but says nothing. He has his focus back on the salad in front of him.

“But seriously,” Joe continues, after he takes a bite of his meal. “I didn’t expect you to come back so sudden like this.”

James shrugs. He takes a piece of chicken from his salad and eats it. “Well… Some things happened.”

“What things?”

James doesn’t answer Joe for a while, busying himself with his salad. But Joe is not the kind of person who easily accepts silence as an answer.

“Milly…”

“Yeah?” James lifts up his head. In front of him, Joe is staring at him seriously.

“What things?” Joe repeats his question.

James sighs. He takes his glass of water to have a sip from it.

“Villa is there. He came two days ago, on Sunday,” James finally says. With his eyes looking down, it looks more like he’s talking to the food on his bowl instead of to Joe.

“Villa?” Joe sounds surprised. “Villa as in David Villa?”

James only flashes a glance at Joe before looking down again.

“Yeah,” he says, taking another bite of his meal. “David Villa.”

“What does he want?” Joe asks, still sounds bemused.

James bites his lower lip, pretending he doesn’t feel the nauseous swirls in his stomach. He eats a bit more of his salad, then he looks back at Joe.

“Well, he said he wants to fix things. Between him and David,” James explains. He tries to pull his lips into a smile.

“And?” Joe asks, more and more curious. He leans forward a little.  “What did David say? How was his reaction?”

James grabs his glass again and drinks some more water. His throat feels dry, and it has nothing to do with the salad that he’s having.

James puts back his glass, and looks at Joe. “I don’t exactly know how David feels about it,” James says carefully. Then he stretches his lips into a smile. “But I think… It’s a good thing that they can be together again, right?”

It is, isn’t it? It is a good thing that David can finally be together again with someone he used to love, and someone who loves him too, isn’t it? It should be. It’s something that James has been telling himself.

There are some creases on Joe’s forehead as he stares back at James.

“Really?” he says, like he’s not completely believe in what James said. “Do you really think so?”

“Uh huh,” James hums and nods. It’s something he finds easier to do rather than saying it. He quickly looks down again, taking some more from the remaining of his salad.

“And that’s what makes you come back to England?”

“Yeah. Sort of,” James say. This time he can answer it with his eyes at Joe’s because to answer this question, he doesn’t have to lie.

“But…” Joe shakes his head a little, like there is something that he can’t understand. “But, Milly… I always thought that you…”

Joe pauses there, and takes a deep breath. James waits for Joe to continue.

“I always thought that you… _care_ about David.”

James looks away. He doesn’t know which one hits him more. The fact that Joe might realize about something that James has been trying to hide, or how true what Joe has said.

James turns his head to face Joe back. “I do, Charles. I do care about David. And that’s why,” he pauses and shrugs his shoulder. “That is why I just want what’s best for him. I want him to have whatever it is that makes him happy.”

“But, Milly. Then why-“

“Charles,” James stops him. He lets out a sigh. “Let’s… let’s just not talk about this for now, okay?”

Joe stares at him. James can see from his eyes how Joe still questioning some things. But then Joe shakes his head.

“Oh well, if you say so, then.”

James flashes a small smile at him, and looks down to his bowl. He finishes his salad, but he can sense how Joe still looks at him with curiosity.

Half an hour later, James drives back to his flat. When he stops on a red light, he absently gazes at the blue sky. He wonders how long it takes until he no longer feels this emptiness.

*******

David drowns himself with work. Not just dealing with things that he needs to finish within this week, he also does some of the things that he doesn’t actually have to do until next week. He tries anything that he can do to focus himself on something. Anything that he can do so he won’t notice the void that he’s been feeling. But sometimes, when he gazes at the window and looks at the blue sky, he can’t help to think how some things have really changed. How some things would never be the same anymore.

About ten minutes after five, he hears a knock on his door.

“Come in!” he says without taking his eyes off from the figures in front of him. He’s still thinking whether adding a few more facilities suggested by some guests really worth the amount of money that he has to spend.

“Silva?”

David lifts his head up, finding Villa walking towards him.

“Oh. Hi, Villa,” David says, putting the papers on the table. He massages the back of his shoulder lightly, just starting to feel the tension there.

“You’re still working?” Villa asks. He sits on the corner of David’s desk.

David glances at the clock.

“Well-“

“Come on, Silva. Enough working for today. It’s late already.” Villa cuts him.

David raises an eyebrow.

“Just call it a day. Go back to your house and get ready.”

David snorts. “Get ready? For what?”

“I’ll pick you up at 7, okay?”

David shakes his head, but smiling in amusement. “What? You’re going to take me for another date?”

Villa grins at him. “Yeah. We’re going for another date.”

David props his elbows on the desk, and rests his chin on his intertwining fingers. “A date, huh? So, should I… dress up? Wearing the best clothes that I have?”

Villa tilts his head to the left. His eyes twinkle as he winks at David.

“Well, you may if you want to,” Villa says. “But to be honest, you always look good in anything, Silva.”

David snorts again, even though he can feel his cheeks are blushing.

“Gosh, Villa. What makes you so corny? Are you high on something?” he says jokingly.

But Villa looks back at him with a gentle look. “No, I’m not high on something or anything. I’m just in love.”

David’s heart stops beating for second. His face reddening, he looks away to the window. He nervously brushes his hair away from covering his eyes.

“So,” Villa says. David turns his head to look at him again, even though he can still feel the heat all over his face.

“I’ll see you at 7. Okay, Silvita?”

“Uhm. Yeah. At 7,” David nods awkwardly.

Villa slides down from his desk, and walks to the door.

Alone again in his office, David gazes at the blue sky from his window. He wonders, maybe it’s time for him, to try filling in this emptiness inside of him.


	24. A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About the people having a date.

It’s been almost three hours after today’s training has been over. But unlike usual, Nat is not home yet. Instead, he’s still sitting in the small coffee shop, across of Luca on a table by the window. There is a plate of cheese pastry in front of him, next to a cup of latte. It’s the second cup since he sat here two hours ago.

“What is it?” Luca asks from behind his laptop.

“Huh?” Nat turns his head to look at Luca from the window that he’s gazing at.

“You have something in your mind. What is it?”

“Nothing,” Nat says, brushing away his hair on his forehead.

Luca closes his laptop. “You might say that it’s nothing, Nat. But you haven’t finished even half of that pastry, and you already have a second cup of coffee. And really, since 20 minutes ago, you haven’t turned to a new page on that book that you have there.”

Nat huffs. He closes his book and puts it next to his plate.

“I hate it when you’re right,” he mumbles.

“Well, then I am afraid that you’re going to hate me most of the time,” Luca says, a rather smug grin is on his face. Using his fork, he takes a piece of pastry from Nat’s plate. His own cherry pastry has been gone since an hour ago.

“Cocky,” Nat says, rolling his eyes. But he can’t hold himself from smiling.

“Cocky? No. I’m just awesome,” Luca says, eyes glinting mischievously. But in a second, the look in his eyes change into a serious one.

“Nat, what is it?” he asks again. This time with a softer tone.

Nat sighs. He looks down, absently running his finger on the surface of the table.

“My father called me this morning,” he says, lifting his head up to look at Luca. “He told me that your dad is there.”

Luca nods. “And?” he asks further carefully. “Did he say anything else about that?”

His elbow on the table, Nat propping his chin on his hand while he’s thinking.

“One thing that I can see, he’s not really sure what to do,” Nat says. “He looked really distracted. Like…” Nat says, waving his hand vaguely. “Like he has so many things in his head.”

Then he looks at Luca, with a small vague smile on his lips. “But he said that your dad is doing a good job in trying to convince him.”

“Oh, good to know that your father appreciates it,” Luca says, and snorts a little. “Because let me tell you, my dad is really trying so hard.”

Nat raises his eyebrows, looking at Luca curiously.

Luca shakes his head, and his expression strangely looks almost desperate. “You know what? He called me last night, just to ask what color that he should pick for his shirt, if he’s going for a date.”

Nat’s eyes widened, and he chuckles. “Your dad taking my father for a date?”

“Apparently. He took your father for a dinner last night and he plans to do it again this evening,” Luca says, scrunching his nose a little. “This morning, he sent me some links to a few café and asked me which one that he should take your father to for tonight.”

Nat’s lips parted, and the next second, he laughs in amusement. “Oh my God, Luca,” he says. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, because this whole thing between our fathers is awkward. But sorry, Luca, that is kind of hilarious.”

Luca groans. “He even asked me whether he should bring some flowers too.”

Nat chuckles. “Oh, please don’t tell me that you told him to bring a bouquet of a dozen red roses,” he says, a bit teasingly.

Luca quickly shakes his head. “No, no. I told him not to. Especially because I know that last night he already did something with flowers for the dinner with your father.”

Nat laughs again. A bright laughter that makes the corner of his eyes crinkle. And it makes a thousand butterflies dance in Luca’s stomach.

Nat shakes his head a little, and sips some of his coffee. “Honestly, I don’t mind if my father is dating someone as long as he likes it. But… I don’t know, since it’s _your_ father…” he says.

“Well, you’re still luckier than me. At least your father doesn’t ask for advice about the date thing. In my case, it seems like my dad thinks that I am some sort of a dating expert,” Luca sighs, and steals another piece of pastry from Nat’s plate.

Nat laughs. “Maybe because my father doesn’t think I have enough experience about dating to help him,” Nat says. “In fact, I’ve never had a date before,” he adds, looking down at his cup.

Luca smiles. “Hey,” he says, poking Nat’s foot gently under the table with his own. Nat lifts his head up.

“You have one now,” Luca says, tilting his head to the left, but keeps his eyes at Nat. “A date. With me.”

Nat looks away from Luca to the window with a reddening face. But the shy smile on his lips makes Luca has enough courage to reach out for Nat’s hand, and covers it with his. Nat looks down for a second, but then he turns his head to look back at Luca.

He says nothing. But with the way he holds Luca’s hand back, lacing their fingers together as his eyes smile along with his lip, no words need to be spoken anyway.

 

*******

 

 

When the waiter has taken their order, Villa stares at David, looking a bit amazed.

“Are you sure that you’re ordering tea?”

“Yes. What’s wrong with that?” David asks him back. “Even though this is a coffee shop, doesn’t necessarily means that people must always drink coffee here, right?”

“Since when you started drinking tea?” Villa asks again. He still has a look of disbelief in his eyes.

David shrugs his shoulder. “Since I know that tea can also be very good. If you know how to make it properly.”

Villa chuckles, then shakes his head.

“You’ve become more like an English person…”

“Hey, I spent more than 10 years in England. You can’t expect that it won’t have any effect on me,” David defends himself.

Villa laughs. “Yeah, you have a point there,” he says.

The waiter that comes with their orders makes the conversation stops for a while. When the waiter has left them, Villa takes a sip of his coffee. Across of him, David sips his tea. He absently thinks that the tea that James usually makes for him is better. So much better.

“So, how’s your son?” Villa asks.

“Nat?” David says. He takes another sip before placing the cup back to the table. “He’s good. I just called him this morning.”

“He’s a very good player,” Villa says. “I watched his game against Espanyol last Saturday. It was his debut for Valencia, right?”

“Uh huh,” David nods, cutting a piece of his cheese and sausage pastry.

“He’s like doing magic with his feet to the ball,” Villa says. “Just like you.”

David smiles at the compliment. “Thank you,” he says. “Luca is also a very good striker.”

He takes a bite of his pastry from his fork, and eats it. “How is Luca?” David asks back.

“He’s good,” Villa answers. But then he chuckles. “You know what? I think he’s seeing someone.”

“Really?” David raises an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“When I called him last night, he said he needed to wake up earlier this morning, because he needed to pick up a friend.”

“And?” David stares at Villa with creases on his forehead. “Isn’t it something normal? Giving a ride to a friend?”

Villa laughs. “Oh, I know Luca. He loves sleeping. If someone can make him wake up earlier than usual, that person must be really, really special.”

David chuckles. “I think I know someone else who also loves sleeping.”

Villa smiles at him. “Oh, good to know that you still remember my habits.”

David rolls his eyes. But he can feel the tip of his ears heating up.

“But if he is seeing someone, that’s nice,” Villa says, cutting his sandwich. “It’s been so long since the last time he has a crush on someone.”

“He’s still young, Villa.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Villa agrees. “Young people, so easy to think that they are falling in love, while most of the time it’s just a crush.”

David takes another bite of his pastry.

“Oh, falling in love can be easy sometimes,” David says, slightly smiling. He looks down as he’s cutting the pastry. “To _stay_ in love, now _that_ , is the difficult part,” he says, lifting his head up to look at Villa.

“I don’t find it difficult to stay in love with you,” Villa says earnestly.

David’s heart skips a beat. The look in his Villa is so sincere, it makes something flutters inside David’s chest.

Villa smiles at him with that gentle smile that once could always make David feel breathless.

“Anyway,” Villa looks down, and sips his coffee. “So, how was your day?”

As they continue talking, there is a thought in the back of David’s head. Can he say the same thing to Villa? That to stay in love with Villa is not difficult?

 

*******

In front of the door, David makes a 90-degree turn to face Villa. He smiles.

“Thank you, Villa. It was really nice.”

Villa returns his smile and nods. “You’re welcome. I really had a good time. I always have a good time if I spend it with you.”

Villa starts moving his hand to touch David’s face. But David moves faster. Tiptoeing a little, he plants a quick kiss on Villa’s cheek. He pulls away before Villa really realizes what happened.

David smiles again at Villa who still freezes where he stands, looking dazed.

“Good night, Villa.” David says. Without waiting for Villa to answer him, he opens the door, and walks in.

The next second, Villa is staring at the closed door. Slowly, he lifts up his hand, carefully touches the spot where David kisses him a few seconds ago.

Villa turns around, and walks away.

*******

 

 

Villa throws himself to the bed, and yawns. With his head over his folded arms, he stares at the ceiling. The last two nights have been amazing for him. Even though he has only a few hours with Silva, every little thing on Silva is still something that he finds endearing. The way he smiles, the way his eyes light up, the crinkles at the corner of his eyes whenever he smiles or laugh. And his hair still looks as soft as always, and falls in a perfectly messy way all over his head. It really takes a lot of self-control from Villa to hold himself from reaching out to have his fingers between that strands of hair.

And that kiss. _That kiss_. Villa’s hand flies to his cheek again. Just touching it, thinking how David’s lips were pressed against his skin on that spot, it triggers a funny pull in his chest.

Villa sighs. Somehow he’s not sure what it means. He hopes that it is, but he’s not sure that it means all his attempts that he’s been doing is going to give him what he wants. They had a good time. They had some nice conversation. But still, Villa feels that something is a bit off. There are a few times when Silva looks distracted. Like he’s thinking of something else. Villa can see how sometimes Silva gazes to the window, like he is looking for, or waiting for something.

_But that kiss…_

Villa takes a deep breath, and sits up. He stretches his legs on the bed and rests his back against the headboard. Reaching for his phone, he checks the numbers on the screen. It’s not even 10.30 yet. Luca usually is still up at this hour.

 _Except if he needs to wake up early again to pick up that someone_ , Villa thinks to himself with an amused smile as he slides his finger to call his son.

It takes three rings before Luca picks up his call.

“Hi, Dad!” Luca waves at him from the screen.

“Hey. So, everything’s alright there, son?”

“Yeah. I’m alright here. Don’t worry, I haven’t burnt the house down yet,” Luca says, grinning at his father.

“Oh, good to hear that. At least I know that I still have somewhere to go to when I get back to Valencia.”

“Anyway,” Luca says. He tilts his head to the left. “So. How was your date tonight?”

“It was…good… I guess?” Villa answers. “I had a good time. And at least he said that he enjoyed it too.”

“Well, that’s a good sign,” Luca shrugs his shoulders.

“I hope so,” Villa says, rubbing his chin with his thumb. “But honestly, he hasn’t really said anything about whether he has made a decision or not.”

Luca bites his lower lip. “Maybe he just needs some more time,” he says. “It’s not the kind of decision that you can make in a rush, Dad.”

“I guess you’re right,” Villa nods.

“Anyway,” Villa continues. “How do you know that someone that you love, loves you back?”

Luca lets out a small groan. “Dad! I am only 23! I play football! I’m not some kind of relationship counselor.”

“Oh, come on. Love is something universal. One can be young and mature enough to understand what love means. While the other can be old by age but still clueless about that crazy little thing.”

“I think I know someone who really fits that second description,” Luca says.

“So,” Villa decides to ignore Luca’s last remark. “If this person that you go to date with kiss you-“

“Dad!” Luca cuts his father. He looks almost horrified. “You know I love you and you have my support on this stuff. But can we please not go on too much details?”

“I’m just asking for some suggestion, okay?”

Luca groans again. “Then ask someone your age! Ask Tío Juan! Or your other friend,” he says. “But please don’t ask Raul. It will be super awkward then for me in training,” he quickly adds.

“Well, yeah. Maybe I should do that…”

“Or even better, go to the internet! Do some research online, find that sites that offer relationship advice. You’ll find a gazillion of suggestion.”

Villa snorts. “Thank you, son. You always have a great solution for everything,” he says, a bit sarcastically.

Luca grins. “I know. I am that awesome.”

Villa rolls his eyes. But then he looks at Luca with a small smirk.

“By the way, how was _your_ date?”

In an instant, Luca’s face reddening.

 _Ha! He is seeing someone,_ Villa thinks to himself, somehow amused.

“Who said I am seeing anyone?” Luca says, crossing his arms over his chest.

“A father’s intuition,” Villa grins at Luca. “Come on, you know you can always tell me everything.”

“Dad…”

“Oh, you’re so cute when you like someone,” Villa keeps on teasing.

Luca throws his hands in the air desperately. “Dad, can we have a normal father and son conversation, please?”

“Hey, this is a normal father and son conversation. Don’t you watch those series on TV?”

“Dad…”

“So, tell me. Where and how did you two meet?”

Luca stares at him with wide eyes. But then he sighs, and rubs his face with both hands.

“Okay… okay…” he says, and then sighs again. “There is someone that… I kind of…like very much at the moment,” he says, this time with a low voice. He quickly looks away once the last word falls from his lips.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Villa says, smiling. “How is it going so far?”

Luca shakes his head. He looks back at Villa. Villa’s brows furrow down once he sees the sad smile on Luca’s lips. “Nothing is going, Dad. It’s not going to work out anyway,” he says. Knowing his son well, Villa can hear the bitter tone in Luca’s voice.

“Luca-“

“Dad,” Luca stops him “It’s… It’s complicated…” he says, running his hand over his head.

“Oh,” Villa says. He is curious about it. But he knows when he has to stop.

“So, how’s training?” Villa changes the topic.

“Good,” Luca nods. “And speaking about training, I really need to go to sleep now, Dad. I have to wake up earlier tomorrow morning.”

Villa wants to ask whether the reason for that is the same one as what Luca said last night. But he decides maybe it’s better if he doesn’t.

“Okay, then. Bye, Luca.”

“Bye, Dad. Good luck there,” Luca says, smiling at his father.

Villa ends the call, and puts the phone back on the nightstand. He himself needs to go to sleep now.

An hour later, Villa is still laying awake on his bed. His mind is still wondering whether Silva still stays in love with him. And if he’s not, whether there is a chance that Silva will fall in love with him again.


	25. Let it Go, Let it Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's easy to fall in love.  
> Sometimes it's difficult to stay in love.  
> And sometimes, we realize who we love through the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Just one more chapter! Yeay!  
> 2\. Thanks to Aguero, as it's his goal that has made me able to write this chapter now. Had City lost the game because of James' goal, I don't think I would be able to write anything at all. (Yes, I am such an emotional person)

Seeing the name that lights up on the screen on his phone, David quickly picks it up.

“Joe! How are you?”

“Are you really getting back together with David bloody Villa?”

David chokes on nothing.

“What… what do you mean?” he asks, the rate of his heartbeat suddenly increasing ridiculously.

“Villa is there, right? So. Are you two getting back together again?”

“Who told you that Villa is here?” David asks him back instead of answering Joe’s question.

“Milly. We had lunch together yesterday.”

“James?” The mention of James’ name makes something flutter inside David’s stomach. “Did you… Did you meet him? How is he?”

“Oh, wouldn’t you want to know…” Joe says, almost sarcastically.

“No… I mean,” David shakes his head desperately, swivels his chair around. “I… He never replied my messages.”

_And David is too scared to call him._

He hears Joe sighs.

“David, do you still love him? Villa?”

Joe’s train of questions have been confusing enough for David. And that question is no different.

“I… Well… I used to love him,” David says, fully realize that he’s not really answering Joe’s question. But he can’t answer it anyway. He doesn’t know what the answer to that.

“ _Used to_. How about _now_?”

David sighs. He rubs his temple with his thumb. “Joe. Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Why? You asked me why? I tell you why,” Joe says. It surprised David that Joe sounds almost angry. “Because all these years I’ve been watching you two without saying anything, wondering which one of you will finally realize what it is that you should do and when. But then Milly suddenly just came back to England looking like an empty shell and I don’t think you’re any better and gosh, David. I’ve had enough of the two of you being such idiots!”

David thinks that maybe he should be angry. But somehow, there is a part of him that tells him that what Joe is saying is true.

“Did… Did James say…anything?” David asks nervously.

“No. He didn’t say anything. And that, is why I know that I finally have to say something.”

David stand up from his chair and walks to the window.

“And what is it that you want to say?” David asks.

“I just want to say that both of you are idiots. Or maybe not. It’s just you being too oblivious, and Milly being the typical boring James Milner who’s too afraid to make a mistake. It’s you being too naïve and Milly being too meticulous. But really, in this matter, both of you are really on the borderline of being idiots.”

“You know what, Joe. That is not something really nice to say,” David says, rather coldly.

“Not nice but true after all,” Joe claims.

Joe's response makes David out of words. He stays silent, pondering about what Joe has told him.

“David,” Joe’s voice gets softer. “Let’s go back to my previous question. Do you still love Villa? I know that maybe you think that you miss him. But is it him that you’re missing, or is it the feeling that you have when you’re with him that you’re missing?”

David holds the phone tighter. “Joe… I-“

“David, you don’t have to answer me now. Really, that is actually the question that you have to ask to yourself.”

David presses his forehead on the glass surface of the window.

“And now that he’s here, David, ask yourself another question. Do you feel the same feeling towards him like what you had back then?”

David chews his lower lip, thinking. But just like other questions that Joe asked him, he can't find the answer.

“What if I still feel the same, and what if I no longer feel the same?” David asks, at the edge of frustration.

“Well, if you still feel the same, then go ahead. It means that you and Villa will make it work this time. But if you no longer feel the same…” Joe sighs. “I really think you should tell him.”

“Should I?”

“Yes. I know that maybe you’re afraid that you will hurt his feeling. But it will hurt him even more if you keep him hanging on some false hope for too long.”

David bites his lower lip. He knows that Joe is right after all.

“I guess you’re right,” he says quietly.

At the other end of the line, Joe chuckle. “You know I am right, David.”

Hearing Joe’s voice has changed back into his typical cheerful tone makes David smile.

“And David?”

“Yes?”

“Just be honest with your heart. If you no longer feel the same way to Villa, it may, or may not be, because of someone else.”

“Joe…” David sighs. “Don’t make it even more complicated than it is now.”

“It’s not complicated if you really listen to what your heart says, David.”

David stays silent for a while, and so is Joe. After a few seconds in silence, David takes a deep breath and exhales in a long sigh.

“I still need to think about it, Joe.”

“If you say so. But David, sometimes you also need to feel, instead of just think.”

David lets out a weak laugher. “Yeah. Well… Okay.”

“Okay, I think I’ve had enough of  beating some senses into your head. So, take care, David.”

“Bye, Joe.”

“Bye, Dav-“

“Joe?” David quickly cuts him.

“Yes?”

David takes another deep breath. “Can you… please tell James, that he’s right. That everything has changed. And nothing is the same anymore.”

“David,” Joe says. “You are my best friend. Both of you are. But that is really something that you should tell him by yourself.”

David chews his lower lip. “Do you think so?”

“I know so. Now, goodbye, David.”

“Bye, Joe.”

When the screen of his phone goes blank, David slides it in into his pocket. He gazes at the blue sky, wishing that listening to his heart is as easy as the way Joe said it would be.

 

*******

David doesn’t realize how long he has been standing in front of his window, until he hears a knock on the door.

‘Come in!” he says.

Villa walks in, smiling at David. “Hey. Done with work?”

For a while, David doesn’t say anything. He just stares at Villa. Thinking. Asking himself the questions that he knows he should have asked to himself.

It must be something on his expression. Because the smile on Villa’s lips disappears.

“David? Something’s wrong?” Villa asks, his face shows concern.

David still says nothing, but just keeps on staring at Villa. Then he smiles.

“Let’s take a walk on the beach, shall we?”

Villa raises his eyebrows. And for a second, there is a hint of confusion in his eyes. But he quickly smiles and nods at the idea.

“Sure. Why not?”

 

*******

It’s late in the afternoon. But the sky is still blue, even though on the west horizon, it’s the glorious golden color of sunset.

David walks along the seashore, with Villa next to him. The cool afternoon breeze brushes his face, and makes some strand of his rebellious hair fall all over his forehead.

David stops, and turns to face the sea. Villa does the same thing. For a while, they stand next to each other without saying anything.

David sighs.

“Villa,” he says, turning to face Villa. “How do you know that you still love me? After so long?”

Villa smiles softly as he fixes his eyes at David. “I’ve known it since a long time ago, Silvita. I’ve always known that I love you.”

David says nothing. He stares back at Villa, licking his lower lip. He turns his head to look back at the sea.

“Do you remember what I told you yesterday? That sometimes it’s difficult to stay in love?” David says, turning his head to flash a glance at Villa. He looks back at the ocean. “There is another thing that can also be difficult to do, and sometimes it happens the hard way.”

“What is it?”

David sighs, and brushes the hair from covering his eyes. He gazes at the sky.

“To realize who it is that we really love,” he says, watching the sky starts turning into the color of burning fire as the sun is slowly sliding down.

“Silvita,” Villa calls him with a voice only a little above a whisper.

David turns his head again. Villa holds his chin with his hand, gently rubs his lips with his thumb. His heart starts beating faster, David looks back at Villa.

Villa slowly leans his face forward. Once Villa’s warm breath starts to ghost over his skin, David closes his eyes. He lets his mind go blank, but opens his heart.

Villa presses his lips against David’s. It’s a delicate kiss. His hand moves from David’s chin to cup his jaw, and his other hand makes its way to the back of David’s head, where he buries his fingers between David’s hair. His lips gently move slowly, exploring David’s lips, like he’s tracing back the memories that they shared once.

David feels it. He feels how Villa’s lips against his, the tip of Villa’s tongue mildly brushing his lips, asking to have more taste of it. He can feel Villa’s palm against his skin and his fingers holding his hair.

But it doesn’t feel the same anymore. David still realizes where they are. He’s still thinking about this kiss and what he’s supposed to do about it. He can still hear the sound of the waves crashing on the sand, the sound of the seagulls above them.

Villa pulls back slowly, and David opens his eyes. Villa’s hand is still cupping David’s jaw as he stares into David’s eyes. And even though there is a faint smile on his lips, the look that David sees in Villa’s eyes feels like a kick on his chest.

“It’s gone, isn’t it?” Villa whispers with a trembling voice.

“I’m sorry, Villa…” David says with a shaky voice, feeling like his heart is in his throat.

“Don’t,” Villa shakes his head. He gently rubs David’s cheekbone with his thumb. “If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. Nobody should be blamed for it, nobody should feel sorry about it.”

Villa pulls away his hand, and David looks away.

“Silva,” Villa calls him, gently putting his fingers on the sides of his chin to make David faces him again. He holds the sides of David’s shoulder with both hands.

“Is there someone else, then?” he asks carefully.

There is no hint of accusation in his voice. But David still looks down, avoiding Villa’s eyes.

He can hear Villa lets out a long sigh. David steels himself to lift his head again.

“Does he make you happy?”

David bites his lower lip. He takes a deep breath before answering Villa’s question.

“He always makes me feel that everything will be alright,” David whispers.

Villa smiles vaguely. “Then please don’t do the same mistake like what I’ve done,” he says. David looks at him, and as if someone has flicked a light in his head, now he knows what he should do.

“I won’t,” he says.

Villa sighs again, but then his smile gets just a little bit wider.

“So,” he says, this time with a steadier voice. “No regrets?”

David returns his smile. He shakes his head and brushes his hair from his forehead.

“No,” he says. "No regret."

He lets Villa wrap his arms around his back, and pulls him into a hug. David rests the side of his head over his chest.  Villa kisses the top of his head, then pulls himself away.

“One last kiss?” Villa whispers, his voice slightly trembling again.

David smiles as he tiptoes and leans forward. Villa catches his lips with his own, pulling David into a tight hug, and let David shows goodbye instead of saying it.

David has never imagined that it will end like this. But he knows that it’s time for him to close a chapter in his life, and starts a new page.

 

*******

 

James is sitting on his armchair in his living room. It’s another rainy night in West Midlands, and he’s watching the rain from his window, holding a cup of hot tea in his hands.

The sound of rain fills in the silence as James stares at the window. He stares blankly at the dark night, trying not to remember about the nights in Gran Canaria where David was next to him, sometimes talking about everything and anything. Or sometimes they just share a comfortable silence, each of them reading something, but every now and then would glance at the other, smiling to know that they’re not alone. No matter how he tries, he keeps on failing to forget them. And it clenches his heart inside.

His musing is disrupted by his phone. Joe’s name lights on the screen. He sighs, but somehow feeling a bit relieved. At least talking to Joe can distract him from things that he shouldn’t think about.

“Hello, Charles. How are you?” he says, resting his back on the armchair.

“Milly! It’s raining here in Cheshire!”

James chuckles. “Maybe it’s raining all over England, then. Here is raining too,” he says.

“So I assume that you’re home?”

“Yeah. Not a fan of going out in the rain.”

“And are you still going to be there in the next…ten or fifteen minutes?”

“Of course,” James says. “What? Are you planning to come here?”

Joe chuckles. “I may, or may not, pay you a surprise visit tonight. So you better get ready, Milly.”

“Charles, you telling me this actually ruining the whole concept of a surprise visit,” James points out the flaw on Joe’s logic. “And if you are arriving here in 10 or 15 minutes, it means that you’re already somewhere near here instead of in Cheshire.”

But Joe just laughs. “Oh, believe me, Milly. You’ll be surprised.”

James snorts a little. “Try me,” he says.

“Just wait and see, Milly. Just wait and see…” Joe says.

“Okay. I’m waiting,” James says.

“Good. Goodbye, then.”

“Bye, Charles. “

Ending the call, James shakes his head in amusement. _Charles and his antics_ , he thinks to himself. He glances at the clock. It’s almost ten o’clock. A bit late for someone to come over. But Joe is his best friend, and at this moment, James will gladly have any kind of distraction.

James fiddles with his phone for a while, reading some news from the internet while waiting for Joe to arrive. When he hears the doorbell, he glances at the clock, it’s only been 10 minutes.

 _Charles must have been quite near from here when he called_ , James thinks as he walks to the door.

The doorbell rings again when he’s in front of the door. James unlocks the door, and swings it open.

“Charles, is this what you-“

James stops in the middle of his sentence. His lips half parted in shock as he stares at David, standing in front of him. He blinks, but when he opens his eyes, David is still there. James slowly stretches out his hand to touch David. This must be a dream. This can’t be real. But as his fingers touch David’s cheek, James can feel David’s skin against his fingers. David’s skin is cold because of the rain. And it feels real, too real to be just a dream.

James pulls his hand back. One hand holding the door knob, he stares at David. His heart is beating so fast right now but he strangely feels like he’s not breathing anymore.

“David?” he whispers, half-believes that if he says it too loud, David will just disappear into the night.

David stares back at him, and there is a small smile on his lips.

“You… You’re here?”

David nods slowly.

“But… But why?”

David says nothing. He only stares at James. There is something behind the look in his eyes. But James can’t read what it means. He can only stare back at that eyes, thinking about how deep, how mesmerizing those eyes are.

“Why you’re here?” James asks again.

David bows his head down, and shakes his head a little. Then he lifts his head up.

“Because you can’t do this to me, James.”


	26. All is Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is well when everything ends well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally. The last chapter. And the longest one too.

James’ grip on the door knob gets tighter.

“What… what do you mean?” he asks with a shaky voice.

David bites his lower lip. He shakes his head again before he answers him.

“You can’t… just…kiss me, and then just left me.”

James feels like someone has punched all the air out of his lungs. He looks away from David.

“What else that I can do, then…” James says, more like mumbling. “He’s…” he pauses, biting his lower lip hard and looks up as he tries to take a deep breath. He looks back at David, smiling bitterly. “It’s not me anyway,” he says, with a hollow tone.

David takes a step forward. “But, it’s you, James.”

James’ heart stops beating for a second. He’s sure he’s not hearing it right. He opens his mouth.

“Wha-“

But David’s hand flies to hold the back of his head gently, as he leans up and presses his lips on James’.

James inhales sharply. He’s not ready. He’s not ready for this. He’s not ready for something that he doesn’t even dare to imagine.

He can’t even think. He can only feel the taste of David’s lips over his, David’s breathing faintly brushes his skin, warm and damp.

He still can’t think when David pulls back. He’s not even sure whether he’s still breathing or no.

There is a vague amused smile on David’s lips as he stares at James, while James is still freezing where he’s standing. James can’t take his eyes off David. He just can’t. He’ll die if he does it.

“You look surprised,” David says, the smile lingers on his lips.

James blinks. “I wasn’t ready,” James says. He feels like a total idiot. He should have said something else. Something more intelligent. But what else that he can say when his brain refuses to work at all?

“Oh,” David tilts his head to the left, still has his eyes on James. “Okay," he says.

He gently places his hand on James’ jaw. “Ready?” he asks. The smile on his lips slightly changes into a more playful one.

James’ brain is still trying to process what is actually happening.

But once he sees David’s face coming closer, without thinking, he puts his hands on David’s cheeks, pulling David closer to him as he catches David’s lips with his own. He can feel David’s smile as they kiss, and one of his hand finds its way to the side of David’s head, where he buries his fingers between David’s soft hair.

It’s a rough, almost a frantic kiss, as James still half-believes that it’s just a dream. But even if it was a dream then fuck, James will let himself taste and trace David’s lips and mouth so he can have something to remember about this kiss when he wakes up. Or maybe he doesn’t want to wake up after all.

It’s when they pull away because they’re running out of breath when it finally sinks in James, that this is real. This is really happening.

David is still in front of him, with mussed hair and reddened lips, twinkling eyes with a small smile lightens up his face. James' hands are still holding David’s shoulders and even when James’ squeezes it, David is still there.

“But…” James starts but falters again. Even with so many questions running in his head right now he has no idea how to voice them out.

David laughs lightly. “We’ll have time to talk about it later on, James,” he says. He pauses to give James a smile that makes James breathless again. “But you know what, it’s kind of cold for me to just stand here while it’s raining like this.”

James blinks. With his face heating up, he rubs the back of his neck. “Oh, yeah. Right,” he says, still too dazed to say something more comprehensive. He opens the door wider.

“Come in,” he says, stepping aside to give David the space to step in. David walks in. James closes the door and locks it. He slowly turns around. David is leaning against the wall, staring at him with a vague smile on his lips.

James takes a few small steps and stops just a few inches away from David. Still holding his eyes at James’, David carefully puts his hands on James waist.

James shakes his head again a little. But it’s David who speaks first.

“It’s you, James. I don’t know since when, I never realized it until you left.”

James holds David’s shoulders and presses his forehead against David’s. He wants to smile and laugh and cry and shout to the world. There are so many questions and things that he wants to ask and tell David. But maybe later.

“We can talk later,” James says. He pulls back a little. “But now, can I kiss you again?”

Because once he does it, once he tastes how good it is to kiss David, he can’t get enough of it. Maybe he will never get enough of it.

Something glint in David’s eyes and the smile on his lips makes something swoops funnily in his chest.

“Sure,” David says, voice low and a bit heavy. “I’d love that,” he says.

James leans forward. One hand moves down to David’s back as the other one holds the back of David’s head steadily. He presses his lips against David. David lets out a content sigh as he wraps his arms around James’ neck.

This time it’s a more throughout kiss than the ones before it. James lets himself gently, slowly, exploring David’s lips while David is doing the same thing. It’s a slow kiss, and every now and then their tongues will touch, tease, flick each other. It’s a sweet, reassuring kiss, a kiss that makes James forget the time.

James finally pulls back to have some fresh air. Panting, he stares at David who returns his gaze with a pair of smiling eyes.

“You’re right, James,” David whispers, gently runs his finger over James’ lower lip. “Everything changes.”

James pulls David’s finger from his lip so he can hold David’s hand. He brings David’s hand to his lips and kisses his knuckles.

“For better, I hope?” James asks with a voice low as a whisper.

David gives him a single nod. He pulls his hand away and straightens his back. James gently puts his hands on David’s waist.

“Do you remember when you tell me about those three people in our life?”

James’ brows shoot up for a second, and then he lets out a small short laugh. It feels so long ago since that conversation.

“Yeah,” he says, nodding a little.

“I know now that you are that first person for me, James. The person that I love the most. And I really hope that you are that second person for me.”

James leans and kisses David’s forehead. “I hope so too, David. Since you’ve always been the first person for me,” James says.

David bites his lower lip. He takes a deep breath, and for a split second, there is something flashes in David’s eyes. Something that James can’t read. David lets out a long sigh.

“David?”

“James,” David says, and pauses there. He licks his lower lip as he looks down for a second. When he looks up again, James nods a little, signaling David to continue.

“What I want now, is to have you as that third person. To be the one that I spend the rest of my life with,” David says, never let his eyes fall from James’.

James’ jaws drop as his heart fails to beat again.

As if having David stands in front of his door is not surprising enough. As if having David kissing him is not unbelievable enough.

James blinks in confusion.

“What…What do you mean?” he says, stuttering.

The smile on David’s lips is a gentle one and the look in his eyes is warm as he slides his hand into his pocket. David takes out a small box, and flips it open.

“Will you marry me, James?”

James’ eyes dart from David to a pair of rings inside the box and then back to David again. His knees suddenly feel like they are made from some jelly and his heart is not just beating, it’s thumping in his ribcage.

“David…” James’ voice is trembling and barely a whisper.

But David is still smiling at him and James can see the sincerity and the hope in those beautiful brown eyes where James always get lost in.

“Will you?” David asks again softly.

His heart is in his throat and it makes James can barely say anything when he nods.

“Yes, David,” he says, not sure whether David can understand or even hear it. “I will.”

It’s like suddenly the sun shines from David’s eyes, lightening his whole face. He pulls James’ hand from his waist. Carefully holding it along with the box on one hand, David takes one of the rings from the box and slowly slides it on James’ finger.

David looks up, and brushes his hair away from covering his eyes as he smiles.

James’ hand is trembling as he takes out the other ring, and slides it on David’s finger. For a second or two, he can only stare at the platinum ring on David’s finger. When he looks back at David, he can see something glassy in David’s eyes and how the corners of David’s lips start trembling. And in an instant something warm starts forming at the corner of James’ eyes and he feels like the warmth of sunny summer days running in his vein.

He wraps his arms around David and he vaguely hears the sound of the box that falls to the floor from David’s hand as he puts his arms around James’ neck but it doesn’t matter and nothing really matters anyway because now he has David in his arms. Their lips melt together again and a thousand fireworks are exploding inside of him and James forgets about the time and everything because all that he can see, think and feel now is only David, David who is holding him back and kissing him back like the world has reduced into nothing but the two of them.

 

*******

 

“Luca? Are you home?”

Luca who’s absently browsing through his Instagram feed quickly sits up on his bed.

“Luca?”

This time knowing for sure that it’s his father calling him, Luca jumps off the bed and runs to the door. From the railing he looks down to the living room.

“Dad?”

His father looks up and waves at him.

“Hey, son,” he greets Luca and grins a little. “I hope I don’t wake you up?”

Luca runs down the stair to where his father is standing and pulls him into a hug.

“Dad!” he says. “You’re back!” he says again as he pulls back.

Villa grins again and runs his hand over his head. “Oh, glad to see how much you miss me, Luca.”

Villa throws himself to the couch, and stretches his arms on the top of the couch’s backrest. “Ohhh…” he sighs, and stretches his legs to the coffee table. “Feels so good to be home again.”

Luca carefully sits at the corner of the couch, keeping his eyes on his father.

“So?” Luca says, and pauses, trying to read his father’s expression. “How was it?” he asks warily.

For a second or two, Villa doesn’t answer him. But when he turns his head to look at Luca, there is a small smile on his lips.

“Well,” he says. “The first mission is accomplished. He forgives me and now there’s no regret between us.”

“And?”

Villa sighs, but he still has that smile on his lips. “And second mission? Wasn’t bad at all. I know that he’s happy now.”

Luca stares into his father’s eyes. “Dad…”

Villa nods. “He’s happy now, Luca. Even though it’s not with me.”

It’s like a kick on his chest. Luca keeps on staring at his father for a while.

“So…you mean…”

Villa nods again. “Well, yeah. That’s what I mean. Silva is happy with someone else. Not me.”

“Dad…”

Villa lets out another sigh. “Don’t worry, Luca. I’m okay. I’ve told you, right? I just want him to be happy. He deserves it.”

“But…what about…you?”

Villa takes a deep breath. “I’m okay,” he says. “I will be lying if I told you that it doesn’t hurt at all. But to know that he’s happy, it already means the whole world to me. So I guess, this is the best for everyone. Especially for him.”

Luca says nothing. He just shifts closer to his father, and wraps his arms around his father., resting his chin against his father’s shoulder.

“It’s going to be alright, Dad,” he says softly. “You still have me. We’ll always have each other,” he says, gently runs his hand up and down his father’s back “It’s going to be alright.”

His father says nothing, but Luca can feel his father nodding as he hugs Luca back.

 

*******

 

 

Nat is already half-asleep when his phone goes off. Groaning, he reaches out for his phone. He has to squint his eyes and blinks a few times to see who’s calling. Once he sees that it’s his father’s picture flashing on the screen, he frowns.

It’s already about half an hour past midnight. What is it that makes his father call him at this hour?

Nat rests his phone against the side of the nightstand so he doesn’t have to hold it. He slides his finger on the screen, and his father’s face comes into screen.

“Nat!” his father greets him. Excitedly. Which is totally absurd. How come people get excited at this kind of hour?

“Are you sleeping?”

Nat groans. “I was,” he says. “What is it, papá?” he asks, rubbing his eyes. His mind is still a bit hazy from the sleep, but he can still see that his father is smiling widely.

“Nat,” his father says. “I… I have to tell you something. And I…” he pauses, and laughs. “Well, _we,_ we want to make sure that you are the first one to know this.”

“Huh?” Nat rubs his eyes again. His brain still struggling to process what his father just told him.

“We want to tell you something,” David says again, still with that wide ridiculous grin on his face.

Wait. _We_?

Suddenly the gears in his brain start running. Nat quickly sits up. He takes his phone and holds it a bit closer.

“What?”

Nat can see his father shifts to the side a little. And the next second, he sees Uncle James too on the screen, right next to his father. Their faces are so close, their cheeks are practically brushing each other. And Uncle James is suspiciously wearing the same kind of grin with his father’s.

“Nat,” his father says, and pauses to take a deep breath. “I… Me and James… we’re getting married.”

Nat’s lips parted in shock. Stunned with what he just heard, he stares at the two people on his screen, his eyes widened in surprise.

“What?”

It’s Uncle James that answers his question.

“Your father and I,” he says, and takes his father’s hand to show it to Nat. “We’re getting married.”

Nat stares at the matching rings on their fingers. He slowly lifts his eyes from the rings to the smiling faces.

“You…,” he says to his father. “And Uncle James…” he continues as he looks at Uncle James. “Are getting married,” he says, trying to let the words sink in into him.

“Yes,” his father nods excitedly.

“Yes, we are, Nat,” Uncle James answers. His voice is still his usual calm voice, but Nat can hear the excitement there.

“We’re getting married,” his father says again. He brings James’ hands to his lips and kisses the knuckles.

Nat is torn between wanting to coo at the acts of affection, or to gag at what his father just did.

“I hope you’re okay with this?” Uncle James asks him carefully. There is something that is so similar to hesitation in his greenish eyes.

Nat blinks.

“What?” he asks. “What do you mean? Of course I’m okay with this!” he says. Now that his mind is clear enough to realize what is happening, he starts to feel enthusiasm bubbling inside of him.

“Oh my God, this… this is awesome!” he says. Lips stretch widely into a huge smile, he looks at his father and his soon-to-be-his-father too. He can see how his father’s face is glowing with happiness. “I… Gosh, I just wish you two have done this a long time ago!”

His father laughs. “Well, that’s quite a long story,” he says. “But yeah. We just want to let you know about it.”

“Congratulation, Papá! And Uncle James!” Nat says, wishing that he was physically there with them so he can hug them.

“Thanks, Nat,” his father nods. “Now, we’ll let you go back to sleep. I’ll call you later tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah. Sure. Okay,” Nat says, brushing his hair from his eyes.

“Bye, Nat!” his father says. Next to him, Uncle James also waves at him.

“Bye, Papa,” Nat says.

The screen of his phone goes dark again. Nat is still smiling when he shakes his head a little. He’s just so happy, for his father and Uncle James. He has noticed for so long how those two men are complementing each other. He knows how his father trusts Uncle James, and he knows how much Uncle James care about his father. It’s almost confusing for him why neither his father nor Uncle James seem to realize how perfect they are for each other. But now that it’s finally happening, he just feels so happy about their decision.

Nat lays back on his bed, starts thinking about how life is going to be once Uncle James really becomes a part of the family.

Then it hits him.

What about David Villa then?

Nat’s heart skips a beat when he realizes that the start of a new life for his father with Uncle James means the end for the thing between his father and Villa.

Despite the pain that his father has gone through because of Villa, Nat understands now how Villa is trying so hard to apologize, to show how sorry he is for everything. Nat just can’t help to feel bad for Villa. He wonders how Villa feels about this, how heartbroken he might be.

And what about Luca, then?

A shiver runs down Nat’s spine. Luca loves his father like Nat loves his own. He knows for sure that what makes Villa sad will also hurt Luca.

And this?

Fear starts running frantically in Nat’s mind. What if Luca hates his father, then? What if Luca hates him?

Nat closes his eyes, trying to take a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He tries to focus on how happy his father looked. On how his father will have a new brighter chapter in his life.

But that dull ache is still there in his chest. The fear is still there in the back of his mind.

When he finally falls asleep, Nat still has so many questions and what-if’s in his head, without any answers to them.

 

*******

Half an hour after he woke up, Nat is still laying on his bed. Eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, he’s really tempted to skip the training today. But he knows he can’t. They will have a game in two days, and this kind of thing is surely not an acceptable reason for Raul to let Nat skip the training.

Nat glances at the alarm clock. Luca promised to pick him up for training today, and he’s supposed to be here in about an hour. Nat sighs as he sits up on his bed. He slowly rubs his face with both hands, wondering whether Luca has heard anything from his father.

Hoping that a shower can help him clearing his mind, Nat stands up, and makes his way to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Nat is standing in front of the mirror. He’s trying to make his hair looks somehow more presentable than its usual messy state when someone knocks on his door.

“Yeah, come in!” Nat answers the knocking, thinking that it must be his uncle.

“Nat?”

Recognizing the voice, Nat quickly turns on his heels. Luca smiles at him as he walks in and closes the door behind him.

Nat’s heart jumps in his ribcage as he nervously runs a hand through his hair. “Luca?” he says. “You’re… you’re early,” Nat says, trying to smile at Luca.

Luca shrugs his shoulders. “I need to talk to you about something,” he says.

 _Oh_. There is a cold feeling on his feet, that quickly spreads all over his body. He must have heard about it.

“Oh,” Nat says. He walks to the bed and sits there, feeling like he won’t be able to keep on standing with this nervousness in him.

Luca walks to the bed and sits there next to Nat. Close enough, but still giving some personal space between them.

“Uhm. Yeah. So,” Nat runs his hand awkwardly over his head. “Talk? What… What is it about?” he asks Luca, but his eyes are looking down at the floor.

“Nat,” Luca calls his name with a soft voice.

“Uh huh,” Nat nods. He grips the wooden sides of the bedframe, feeling the need to hold on to something.

“My dad came back last night.”

Nat lifts his head up for a second to flash a glance at Luca, and quickly looks down again.

“Oh,” he says, more like murmuring.

“So… My dad and I… We talked last night,” Luca says, and pauses for a moment. Luca sighs. “And he told me about what happened. With him. With your father.”

Nat bites his lower lip as something swirling in his stomach, almost nauseating.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, still can’t steel himself to look at Luca.

“Sorry? For what?”

Nat takes a deep breath. He slowly lifts his head up, and turns his neck to look at Luca.

“I’m sorry that…it has to end like that,” he says, still whispering. “I know how your father has tried his best…and…I… I’m sorry…” Nat pauses and swallows. “I’m sorry that…it’s… it doesn’t end like…what he wanted to be.”

Nat sighs. He brushes his hair that falls over his eyes. “I understand if your father is mad at my father. And I guess…” he sighs as he looks away from Luca. “I guess I understand if you’re mad at me.”

“Nat?” Luca sounds a bit confused. “What are you talking about?”

Nat bows his head before he looks back at Luca. “I know that…your father must be hurt because of …this. And I know how much you love him. So…” Nat takes another deep breath and sighs. He forces himself to stretch his lips into a stiff smile. “If…you’re mad at me and you don’t want to see me again, I understand.”

Luca’s brows shoot up. “Mad at you? Why?”

Nat blinks. “Huh?”

Luca stays silent for a while. He’s staring at Nat with his head tilted to the left a little, like he’s trying to study Nat’s expression. A moment later, a small smile starts to spread on his lips. He shakes his head lightly.

“Oh, Nat… You…” he sighs. “I know what you mean. But really, there’s no regret. Your father is happy now. And it’s all that my dad wants.”

Nat stares at Luca, bemused. “No?”

Luca lets out a small laugh. He shakes his head again. “No. Well, I guess he gets a bit heartbroken, but I know he’ll get over it. So no, my dad is not angry at your father.”

“No?” Nat repeats his question again. He knows he sounds stupid but he still needs to process what Luca said to really believes it.

“No. He’s not mad at your father,” Luca says, smiling softly at Nat. “And no, Nat. I am not mad at you, either.”

Luca shifts a little closer to Nat. His hand makes its way to Nat’s, covering it. “I could never be mad at you, Nat,” he says with a soft voice, his eyes never leave Nat’s.

Nat is still nervous. But this time, the nervousness is the other kind of nervousness. It’s the kind where Nat feels a thousand of bees are buzzing inside his chest as something funny swirling around in his stomach. And the warmth of Luca’s skin against his makes Nat feel something warm is melting inside his vein, all over his body.

He lets out a small, nervous laugh. “Oh,” he says. He bows his head down for a moment, trying to calm himself. But he swears that his heart beats so loud in his chest as it’s the only thing that he can hear when he looks up again at Luca.

“So…” he says. He can hear his voice is a bit shaky. “So… all is well, then?”

Luca nods. And the smile on his lips is just so mesmerizing, hypnotizing, Nat can’t look away.

“Yes, Nat,” Luca says. He squeezes Nat’s hand. Without thinking, Nat shifts his hand and holds Luca’s hand back.

“All is well,” Luca whispers as he slowly leans his face forward, slowly closing the gap between them.

This time, Nat smiles as he closes his eyes, letting Luca gently presses his lips on his. He lets go of his hand from Luca’s, and put it on Luca’s waist as he kisses him back. Luca sighs contently against his lips as his hand flies to cup Nat’s jaw steadily, while the other one holds the side of Nat’s head.

Nat’s mind is hazy and the taste of Luca’s lips on his is just so intoxicating. The tip of Luca’s tongue slowly brushes over his lips. Nat doesn’t realize that he’s moaning softly as his other hand finds its way to Luca’s head, pulling his hair a little.

Luca slips his tongue into the small gap between Nat’s lips. Before Nat knows it, Luca already deepens his kiss and Nat leans forward to have more of it.

When both of them pull away, out of breath, Nat quickly looks down. His face feels like burning and the beating of his heart is absolutely crazy. From the corner of his eyes, Nat can see that Luca angles his neck a little away from him, but he can see the smile on Luca’s lips. Something funny pulls in Nat’s chest. Looking at Luca again, he gently tugs Luca’s shirt. Luca turns his head back, returning Nat’s look with a small smile.

Nat’s smiles shyly. “Breakfast? Before training?” he asks.

Luca stretches his lips into a wider smile. “Sure. That’s the plan.”

 

*******

Luca glances at his father. With a glass of champagne on his hand, Villa is gazing to where David is standing next to James, who just officially becomes his husband about half an hour ago. The newly wed are chatting with a tall blonde guy, laughing in between their conversation.

Luca nudges his father with his elbow.

“Hey, Dad,” Luca calls Villa.

Villa turns his head to look at his son. “Yeah?”

“You’re alright?”

Villa is slightly smiling as he nods. “Yeah,” he says. “I’m alright.”

Villa turns his head again to where David and James are standing. He sighs.

“It’s been so long since the last time I saw Silva was so happy like that,” he says, more like to himself.

Luca gazes at the same direction where his father is staring at. David is laughing at something, then he tiptoes a little to kiss James’ cheek, who has his arm rests comfortably around David’s waist.

“It’s just so nice to see him like that. So happy, like how he should be,” Villa says.

Luca smiles, and nods. “Yeah. It is nice.” He nudges his father again. “And you’re happy too, right?”

“I am,” Villa says as he nods, still gazing at the couple. He sips his champagne. “I’m happy to see him like that.”

Luca looks at his father. He has a vague smile, but it warms Luca’s heart to see that Villa’s eyes are smiling too.

“Oh, and by the way,” Villa turns his head to look at Luca. “Your boyfriend looks really good in his suit,” he says, smiling teasingly as he gestures a little with his chin  to where Nat is standing.

“Dad!” Luca almost chokes as he feels his face is reddening. It’s been a couple of months since he and Nat started going out together, but somehow he still blushes furiously every time his father brings up the topic.

“What?” Villa smiles at Luca with amusement. “You don’t think so? I think so, that he looks good in that suit.”

“Dad, stop it!”

“Oh, and I think those girls also think that Nat looks cute in the suit,” Villa continues teasing.

Luca instantly turns his head to where Nat is. A group of three girls are standing in front of Nat, one of them giggling as the other one is talking to Nat. Nat rubs the back of his neck and shifts uncomfortably.

Luca groans. “Argh. It’s Tío David’s wedding day and those girls still think it’s an appropriate time to fangirl over Nat.”

“Oooh… Someone is getting jealous,” his father says, and chuckles.

“No, I am not!” Luca tries to deny, but still staring at where Nat is.

He watches as Nat nods at the girls awkwardly, quickly turns on his heels and walks away from them with wide steps, almost half-running. Luca can almost hear the sigh of disappointment from the girls.

“So,” his father claps his shoulder. “You’re not going to say hello to your boyfriend?” he asks, nodding and gesturing with his hand that is still holding the champagne glass to Nat. Nat is now standing close to his father and James, like trying to hide himself from being seen.

Luca rolls his eyes. But then he shrugs his shoulders. “Well, since you ask…” he says, and starts walking towards where Nat is standing.

His father laughs in amusement, knowing perfectly that it’s not the real reason for Luca to make his way to Nat.

“Tío David,”

David turns around, and smiles brightly at Luca.

“Congratulation, I’m so happy for you,” Luca says as he hugs David.

“Thank you, Luca,” David says as he hugs him back. He pats Luca’s back lightly before pulling back.

“And… James? Or should I start calling you Uncle James?” Luca asks, half-jokingly.

James laughs, and gives Luca a warm hug. “You can call me whatever you want, Luca,” he says as he pulls back.

“Nat,” Luca nods at Nat, standing a little behind his father. Nat smiles shyly at him with blushing cheeks.

“Thank you for coming, Luca,” David says. “We really appreciate it,” he smiles. Next to him, James nods approvingly.

James clears his throat.

“So,” he says, putting his arm around David’s shoulder. “I think I see Gaz over there. Why don’t we say hello?”

“But,” David turns his head to look at his husband. “We’ve already-“

He stops once he sees James raises his eyebrows. He subtly gestures at Luca with his chin.

For a moment, David looks confused as his eyes dart from Luca, to Nat. Luca’s ears are heating up, and he can see Nat’s face is reddening as he bows his head down a little.

“Oh!” It takes a second for David to realize what James meant. “Yeah! Sure! And look, Juan is also there! We should also say hello to him!” he says, sounding a little bit too excited.

James chuckles. “Yeah, come on.”

“Nat, we’ll see you later, okay?” David says as he turns his head to look at Nat.

“Yeah. Sure,” Nat says, half-mumbling.

“Oh, and Luca?” David says as he looks back at Luca. He grins at Luca. “I have to say that I agree with Nat. He said that you look really good in that suit,” David says, and winks at Luca.

“Papá!” Nat glares at his father with reddening face, his voice is almost screeching. But his father doesn’t seem to care as he already walks away, holding James’ hand in his.

Luca watches as David is whispering something at James, making James laugh and kisses his temple.

“So,” Luca says as he makes a 90-degree turn on his heels, so he is now facing Nat. “Did you?”

Nat turns to face Luca. His face is still in the color of cherry. “Huh?”

Luca chuckles. He smiles a bit teasingly. “Did you really say that? That I look good in this?”

Nat looks away. “Maybe yes, maybe not,” he says, still looking away from Luca. “But the color really suits you,” he adds with a lower voice, more like he’s mumbling to himself.

“Well, you look nice too,” Luca says.

Nat turns his head, returning Luca’s gaze. “Really?” he says.

“Uh huh,” Luca nods, smiling. “Really, really nice.”

“Uhm. Thank you,” Nat says, smiling shyly, but his eyes light up.

He clears his throat. “You’re coming to the dinner after this, right?”

Luca nods again. “Yeah.”

“And, well…” Nat brushes his hair that falls over his eyes. “Do you… Uhm… have any plan after that?”

Luca tilts his head to the left, keeping his eyes on Nat’s.

“No. But you know what?”

Nat raises his eyebrows.

“Since me and my dad arrived here yesterday, I haven’t had the chance to go to the beach yet. So maybe,” Luca shrugs his shoulder. “You can… you know… show me around?”

Nat’s smile makes Luca breathless for a moment.

“Sure,” Nat nods. “We can take a walk on the beach after that dinner.”

“Great,” Luca says, reaching out for Nat’s hand to hold it. “Can we do it as a date?”

Nat’s eyes smiling brightly along with his lips as he holds Luca’s hand back. “A date sounds lovely.”

 

 

***** THE END *****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. First of all, I still feel like I owe a thank you for Aurore, as the original idea of this story is from her. Well, I know that she gets disappointed because at some point this fic takes a turn that is completely different from what she wanted it to be. But hey, this is what will happen if you said that it's all up to me ;p.  
> 2\. Thank you so much for everyone who reads the story and can still keep up with it. Thank you for all those comments. They really mean a lot to me and my biggest motivation to keep on writing this until the final chapter.  
> 3\. I really do apologize for all the technical flaws. This fic is basically un-betaed. As English is more like... the fourth language for me and grammar is always where I am falling apart (in any language, to be honest), I realize that there is an embarrassing amount of typo and grammatical mistakes that might have made you cringe and annoyed. I am really really sorry.  
> 4\. Well, basically, THANK YOU.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [La pesadilla sin pelo (The Hairless Nightmare)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11882643) by [eafay70](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eafay70/pseuds/eafay70)




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